Stunned, Shocked, & In Awe
by Taker Always
Summary: Ashley has always been a massive fan of the WWE ever since her dad introduced her to it, one superstar in particular capturing her adoration. However, in a miraculous twist of fate, she gets an opportunity of a lifetime-two tickets to Monday night RAW. With her dreams coming true ever since, things just seem too perfect, until an unknown danger begins to threaten her life. Taker/OC
1. A Token of Appreciation

**Author's Note: Well I guess I just loved you guys so much that I couldn't stay away! So here it is .. chapter one of Cookin' It Up. I'm sure you all know who the hero in our story will be but just in case... the winner of the poll was the Undertaker. This story is going to be a little different than Taken. Taker(Mark) will not be the ass he was in Taken. Well somewhat anyway. In an interview I watched, Taker admitted that he was looked up to in the locker room. That everyone came to him for advice and such. So that's kind of the way he'll be in this story.  
**

**Disclaimer: The WWE and anything related to the WWE are NOT mine and I am NOT making any money. The Undertaker is not mine either. **

**P.S. I did make a few changes but this story takes place right after Wrestlemania 29. I know that Raw on April 8 took place in New Jersey but I had to change it for this story! Thanks!**

**Chapter One  
A Token of Appreciation  
**

"How do you do that without cutting one of those little fingers slam off?"

Looking up at one of her assistants, Ashley smiled. "You do know what they say…" She trailed off, wondering if Eric would know what she was talking about.

He didn't if the look of confusion was anything to go by. "What do they say?" He asked, leaning against the stainless steel counter next to her, crossing his arms across his impressive chest.

She rolled her eyes. "Practice makes perfect, of course."

Reaching out to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear, he grinned, his ice blue eyes shinning with mischief. "Well, I think you were already perfect so you didn't have to practice too hard."

Ashley blushed, ducking her head and going back to her vegetables. "Thank you Eric, but I've practiced a lot since I left culinary school."

"If you say so, Babe."

"Eric?"

"Yes?"

"Go back to your station." The words were an order, but her soft voice took out the harshness of her words.

Laughing, he walked back to his station. He loved working the meat station, made him feel more like a man sometimes. Working in a kitchen with a bunch of women can take away one's masculinity, but Eric enjoyed working with these bunch of women especially Ashley. She was definitely one of a kind and she worked her ass off for this place. He just wished their boss would see that as well.

"Hey Ashley!" Elle, the head waitress called out from the pass. Ashley turned, giving Elle her full attention.

"What's up, Elle? Is something wrong?"

A smile the size of New York lit up Elle's face and she shook her head. "Nope! In fact everything is great. There is a very handsome," Elle lowered her voice and one hand came up, cupping the side of her mouth. "And one very sexy man out there wanting to give their compliments to the chef."

Ashley, of course blushed. She was embarrassed and she knew she shouldn't be, but she's never had this happened to her before. She wasn't really the chef. She was only the sous chef, but their chef was always calling in sick and going on 'vacations' so she filled in for him a lot. Antonio wasn't exactly dependable or even worthy, but she liked him. No one else really did, but she did. Because of him, she got to be the boss in the kitchen a lot more than she would have normally.

"What table, Elle?" She asked, taking several deep breaths.

"Fourteen. Two gentleman and they both had the lobster risotto appetizer then the beef wellington with your special sauce." She winked before walking away.

Her special sauce was an accident. One night they had run out of sauce –the ingredients to make it– that actually came with the beef wellington (thanks to Antonio) so Ashley made her own. It turned out to be a bigger hit than the original beef wellington sauce. Even so she still has never had anyone wanting to 'thank the chef'. She was excited and nervous.

After removing her apron and washing her hands, she exited the kitchen. As she walked towards table fourteen, she gave herself a pep talk. She would be polite and sweet, keeping the smile on her face. She would not stumble over her words and she would not stutter like an idiot in front of these very important customers. She was a professional and that was exactly what these two gentlemen were going to get.

Of course as Ashley got closer to table fourteen, she had a feeling she was going to be a babbling flipping idiot. Because sitting at table fourteen –her new favorite number– were Randy Orton and John Cena. She may only be twenty four years old, but she had been watching wrestling since she was in diapers. Her father was a huge wrestling fan and he made her one too. His favorite wrestler was now her favorite wrestler too. Unfortunately and fortunately for her, he wasn't sitting at table fourteen, but Orton and Cena were two of her favorites. And today was her lucky day. But she was _not_ going to act like a blabbering fool.

"Hello gentlemen, my name is Ashley and I was your chef this evening."

There that didn't sound so bad. Yeah right, she sounded like a freaking idiot.

However she sounded didn't matter to either man. They both looked at her with huge smiles. She now knew two things. One, she was way to freakin' small and two, cameras did not do either one of them justice. Orton and Cena were both definitely good-looking men.

"Hello Sweetheart, my name is John Cena and this here is my good friend, Randy Orton."

Ashley nodded— like an idiot. "I'm a big fan, Mr. Cena, Mr. Orton."

Orton laughed. "Please call me Randy. I'm not old enough to be my father yet."

Ashley smiled, but before she could reply John spoke. "You're a WWE fan?"

Ashley nodded. "Very much so, Mr. Cena. I've been watching wrestling since I was in diapers. I believe it was the WWF then."

Cena nodded. "Indeed it was. Who's your favorite?" He asked with a sly grin.

Randy laughed. "I bet it's me. After all I am the best looking and the best talented."

Cena snorted. "You're off today, buddy because you ain't neither of those."

It was Randy's turn to snort. "Let's ask the young lady, shall we? Who is your favorite, Beautiful?" Randy asked playfully.

Smiling, Ashley shook her head. "I'm afraid my lips are sealed today, Boys. However I am very pleased to hear that you liked your dinner this evening." Ashley redirected the topic of conversation as easily as she could. She would not tell this two her crazy obsession over a certain bad ass.

Both of them nodded. "The dinner was delicious, but that special sauce was out of this world. Would you care to share it with us?"

Still smiling, she shook her head again. "I'm sorry Gentlemen, that is a highly secretive sauce and I'm afraid if I told you, I would well…" Ashley looked around coyly before bending slightly and lowering her voice. "I would have to kill ya."

That got full belly laughs out of both the handsome wrestlers and Ashley found herself laughing as well. She was actually enjoying the company of these two and she couldn't wait to tell her dad about her encounter. He wasn't going to believe her, but then again she wouldn't believe her either.

"You're beautiful, a wonderful cook, and you have a sense of humor. I think I love you." Cena teased.

Randy sobered and shook his head. "I think you should marry me." He replied playfully.

"I'm sorry, but I'm saving myself for another." She placed a hand over her heart and sighed dramatically.

"Is it Sheamus?" Randy asked.

Ashley shook her head. Although she did like the handsome Irishman.

"It isn't the Shield, is it?" Orton asked with disgust.

Ashley giggled. "No it is not the Shield." She assured them. "I hate to leave, but I do have to get back to work, Gentlemen."

They both frowned. "That's too bad for us."

Orton reached into his pocket and pulled out two tickets. "We would like to give you these as a thank you for this wonderful and delicious meal."

He handed her the two tickets and Ashley was sure she was going to faint. "Are you sure? I couldn't— I don't think— Are you sure?"

They both laughed. "We're sure. It's not for Wrestlemania. We tried that. It's only for a Raw show, but it's the least we can do."

Orton nodded in agreement. "We don't get home cooked meals much since we're on the road a lot and we do enjoy a good meal and Honey that was the best meal I've had in a long time. We've been here on several occasions and the food only gets better. We brought these tickets tonight especially for you, our chef. Please take them and enjoy them. It's for this Monday night, do you think you can make it?"

Ashley nodded eagerly. "Yes, I will definitely be there." She wanted to scream on the top of her lungs, she couldn't believe it. And right after Wrestlemania as well. She knew her man was going to win.

John and Randy stood up, giving her cheeks a sweet kiss. "We'll see you then, Beautiful." Randy winked.

Ashley said good bye and walked away, feeling like she was on cloud nine. She stopped by the hostess station to let them know that table fourteen was on her tab. Felicity quickly nodded and immediately jotted down on ticket fourteen –paid in full.

Ashley went back to the kitchen, smiling like an idiot. She actually got to meet John Cena and Randy Orton. And she got tickets—two tickets to be exact for Monday night Raw. She was excited and she couldn't wait to tell her dad.

"What has you all in smiles, Babe?" Eric asked, seeing the sappy looking grin on her face.

She wrinkled her nose and showed Eric the two tickets. "I just met John Cena and Randy Orton _and_ they gave me two tickets to Monday night Raw."

Eric's eyes widened. He knew that was a big deal for Ashley. She had been a major wrestling fan since she was in diapers. He's even seen pictures of her as a toddler dressed up as a wrestler, her dad's favorite he did believe. He gave her a huge grin. "That's awesome, Babe. Are you gonna take your dad?" He asked, already knowing the answer.

Ashley smiled and nodded. "He's going to be over the moon."

* * *

And he was.

Ashley was super close to her father. He was only seventeen when his girlfriend got pregnant with her. When her mom Megan got pregnant at the age of sixteen, she was devastated. Megan's parents were all about appearances; especially public appearances. And for them to have a teenage daughter that was pregnant was a huge no-no. Megan's parents wanted her to abort the baby, but Ben, her father wouldn't hear of it. He begged Megan's parents to let her keep the baby to term and then he would raise the child by himself. Megan's parents eventually agreed.

Nine months later, she was born and Megan signed away all her rights to her child. Her dad named her Ashley because his mom liked the name. Soon after she was born, her dad and her moved to St. Louis, Missouri where he worked full time and earned his GED at night school. Then once he received his GED, he earned his business degree and then his law degree at night school. He is now a very important lawyer at a prestige law firm. He was working on a big case right now, but she hadn't a clue what it was about.

Her great-grandmother watched her during the day while her dad was at work and he cared for Ashley himself in the evenings. They did everything together. Her dad never left her if he didn't have to. He remained a bachelor for twenty four years. She was sure he had some relationships in those long years of her growing up, but he never brought them home to her. He was the best father a girl could ask for. She couldn't wait to show him the tickets that Randy and John had given her.

She didn't live with her dad anymore. She lived by herself in a nice security tight condo, but she visited her dad often. She absolutely loved her condo. It was on the twelfth floor and she had a beautiful view of St. Louis. Only a person with a key was allowed on her floor. The elevator doors opened onto her foyer which had a door that she kept locked (after all, she was a single woman living by herself). The kitchen, dining room, and living room were a large open space that was perfect for entertaining, not that she did. Down the hall were three bedrooms, one being the master which had a huge walk-in closet and a gorgeous master bathroom with a Jacuzzi tub and a large shower. The other two bedrooms shared a rather large bathroom. She loved her condo.

Her dad hated it. She laughed as she walked up the sidewalk towards the front door of her dad's place. Her dad owned a single family home that was two bedrooms and one bathroom. He could now easily afford a new house, but he didn't want to sale it and she was glad he didn't. This place was home to her. The front half was a kitchen and a living room and the back half held the two bedrooms and in between the bedrooms was the only bathroom. One bathroom! She was sure her dad peed outside his back bedroom window for most of her teenage years. She wasn't entirely sure, but it was the only thing she could come up with since he never complained about how much time she was in the bathroom.

When she turned eighteen, she told her dad she was moving into a college dorm. He actually lost his temper. In all her eighteen years, he had never lost his temper. Not even when she broke curfew when she was twelve and didn't come home until one in the morning. Her dad had been worried sick all night and she felt guilty as hell; so guilty she never did it again. Her dad was definitely a mellow person so when he got angry about her moving out, she almost changed her mind. But she knew better. Her dad just didn't want to lose his little girl and she assured him that he never would. They were just too close.

She used her key to get in, shutting the door behind her. "Daddy?" She called out, not seeing him in the living room directly to her left.

"In here, Sunshine."

Ashley smiled at the nickname as she followed the sound of his voice into the kitchen. He had been calling her Sunshine for as long as she could remember. One time when she was six she asked him why he called her that. He told her that she was the bright spot in his life. The most important thing to him, she was. He was definitely the best father ever.

"Dad, I've got a surprise!" She exclaimed as she stepped into the kitchen, holding up the two tickets.

Ben smiled at his daughter. "What do you got there?" He asked, eying those tickets closely. His eyesight was pretty good, but he couldn't make out the wording.

"Two tickets for Monday night…"

Ben immediately frowned. Every Monday night since Ashley had went off to culinary school, she always made time for him on Monday nights and Friday nights. Those were their nights together in the midst of their crazy worlds. He knew he was being selfish, but he didn't want to give up one of those nights.

"Dad! It's tickets to RAW!"

It took a minute before it registered, but when it did it took a lot for Ben not to get as excited as his daughter who was practically bouncing on the balls of her feet. He pulled her in for a hug, wishing her congratulations. "Where did you get those?" He asked after pulling away and returning to cooking his dinner. After a taking a sniff he was starting to wonder if he should throw it away. He didn't know where his daughter got her amazing talent for cooking, but it sure wasn't from him.

Ashley took a sniff and grimaced. She gently nudged her father out of the way. "Randy Orton and John Cena came into the restaurant this evening."

"No shit?"

Ashley laughed at her dad. "Yes they did." She replied. She shook her head at her father's 'meal'. Sometimes she wondered how he survived on his cooking or how _she_ even survived on it. "Let me cook you a decent meal and I'll tell you all about it."

Ben nodded, grabbed a beer from the fridge, and sat down to enjoy this time with his daughter.

* * *

"Dad, this is awesome!"

Ashley was so excited, she couldn't sit still. They watched Wrestlemania the night before on Pay-per-view and it was totally amazing! She knew her man was going to win and her dad knew it too. Now they were here! At Monday Night Raw! What an amazing experience.

They had got to watch Alberto Del Rio defeat Jack Swagger and then she couldn't believe it when Dolph Ziggler came out with his Money in the Bank contract and won the championship from Del Rio. She couldn't believe it! Her dad couldn't either. He didn't like Swagger so he was glad that Del Rio won against him, but he was very upset that Dolph won. He thought what Dolph did was wrong, but he said he could completely understand why Dolph did it. This is an opportunistic sport so Dolph had to do what he had to do.

Then Randy Orton and Sheamus were facing each other for a shot against the Big Show and she thought she was going to go in cardiac arrest when Randy came out and searched for her. They weren't in front next to the barricade, but she didn't care. She was just happy to be here. Of course Orton knew where they were seated because he gave her the tickets but she hadn't expected that. Her dad was almost as giddy as her when Orton caught their eye and winked. They waved back like eager little children and it actually made Randy smile. When Sheamus came out, Randy whispered something to him and before she knew it, Sheamus was seeking them, giving them a smile and a wink too. This was definitely a good night for her and her dad.

"I have to agree, Sunshine. This is definitely a once in chance lifetime opportunity for the both of us." He replied giving her a hug. "Thank you for bringing me, Ashley."

Ashley teared up. "Dad, it's the least I can do. You're the greatest dad a girl could ask for." She told him, returning his hug.

"You're the best daughter a dad could ever ask for."

They gave each other smiles before returning their attention back to Randy and Sheamus. They watched as those two went on each other like crazy fools, vying for a match with the Big Show who she didn't really care for. They couldn't believe it when Big Show came out and interrupted the match. Okay well maybe she could believe it a little bit.

As Big E and his gang was making his way to the squared circle, her dad's cell phone went off; his work phone. The noise in arena was deafening but her dad heard every word and with each passing second her dad's face fell just a little more, she knew he was going to have to leave. When he hung up, she gave him a hug.

"What was that for?" He asked when she pulled back.

"I know you have to go." She replied.

He smiled before frowning. "I'm sorry, Sunshine. My current client is in a lot of trouble right now."

Ashley returned his smile, nodding. "I know you wouldn't leave unless you absolutely had to, Dad. I'll be okay."

"I know you will be, but I hate leaving you without a vehicle and since I have to get on the next flight to Las Vegas I have to take the car with me."

Ashley knew she should have driven her own car here, but she loved spending as much time as she could with her dad so carpooling had seemed like a great idea and to her it still was. She didn't mind taking a cab back to her condo. It wasn't far from here.

"I'll be okay, Dad. I promise."

"Regardless, I want you to call me as soon as you get safely back in your condo. Okay?"

She nodded. "I promise, Dad. Love you."

"Love you too, Sunshine."

After giving him another quick hug, they said good bye and her dad left the arena. She was sure it took some time to get out, but she received a text thirty minutes later from her dad, letting her know that he was now in the car and heading towards the airport. He loved his job and she loved him for it. He was a great man and a damn good lawyer.

Ashley continued to watch the show by herself but by the time Fandango came dancing down to the ring, she had to pee so bad her eyeballs were floating up to her brain. She didn't want to miss her favorite wrestler, but she was sure she had enough time to get to the bathroom and back before he came out. She grabbed her new jacket –a tribute to her favorite wrestler and just one more thing added to her collection and headed towards the nearest door to the restroom.

The halls to the bathroom were busy and noisy, but when she stepped into the bathroom itself, it was eerily quiet. It didn't take her long to go pee and wash her hands. Looking in the mirror, her cheeks were flushed and strands of her hair were escaping her ponytail. She looked very happy and she was, but she was sad that her dad had to leave.

She stepped back out into the halls and her brows immediately wrinkled in confusion and paranoia. The halls too were now completely deserted. It was only a little after ten so she knew Raw wasn't over, but it still bothered her that the place looked creepy. She had taken a few steps out of the bathroom when she heard footsteps behind her, but when she turned to look no one was behind her.

She continued on, telling herself that she was being silly. The place only looked deserted but it wasn't and it only looked creepy but it wasn't. It was a perfectly normal arena in her home of St. Louis. She was perfectly safe.

Suddenly pain exploded on the back of her head…

And everything went dark.


	2. Intrigued

**THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU TO THESILENTARTIST2225, KEPOUROS, JOHNCENAFAN101, DIXIEWINXWRITES12, LILYWHITE25, & FIRECRACKER FOR YOUR REVIEWS! THANK YOU FOR THE FAVORITE ALERTS AND THE STORY ALERTS AND THE AUTHOR ALERTS! YOU GUYS ARE TRULY AMAZING! **

**Thank You to TheSilentArtist2225 for the summary to this story. I completely suck at summaries and she is amazing at them! That summary is totally ALL HER!**

**A/N1: Remember some details in past history in this story will be altered and changed.. just saying... **

**A/N2: I received my WWE magazine today inside was an 'article' dedicated to the Phenom! They asked the other wrestlers to give their words on how they feel about the Undertaker. I just loved what they had to say about him so on each chapter I am going to put a quote from them. The first one is Mark Henry...**

_"As respected as he is and as revered as he is, Undertaker does not feel that he's bigger than this business. He loves the business and he respects it, and he'll contribute to the business until he can't do it anymore. For me, at our match at 'Mania, to look down and have him at my feet and know that I was about to end it, was a big rush for me. Of course, it turned on a dime and I ended up in a coffin, but that brief moment when I thought I had beaten the greatest Superstar of all time was fantastic." -Mark Henry  
_

**Chapter Two  
Intrigued**

Monday; April 8, 2013

The Shield had balls. I had to admit it. They had big brass balls. That could be the only explanation in messing with me. Rarely did anyone mess with me or challenge me for that matter and the ones who did had guts and courage. These guys just had big brass balls. I'm sure that's the only way they would cross me. The whole three on one is definitely a coward's way out, but I had to admire them. Interrupting me was brave and so incredibly stupid.

I wouldn't have been easy to take down. Oh they would have eventually gotten me down and out and probably would have triple bombed me, but it would have taken them a lot longer than it usually took them to get to that point. I was thankful to Kane, my on-screen brother and his tag team partner Daniel for coming out to help. I was only regretful that the Shield decided then to run like cowards instead of fighting back when the numbers were even. Oh but their time would come and it was going to be hell for them.

Stepping behind the curtain, I noticed a flurry of activity that was a little more than normal for Monday nights. I couldn't quite tell or understand what was going, but I knew something was up. There was still one more match; this one between Mark Henry and John Cena so Raw was definitely far from over so I knew the activity had nothing to do with Raw being over and the crew packing up equipment. All the extra activity seemed to be coming from one hallway and if my memory serves me, it was the medical hallway. A couple of rooms have been set up with medical equipment, supplies and medical personnel just in case one of us was hurt. Which happened quite often.

Spotting Orton, Kane, Bryan, and a few others standing off to the side, I approached them with my questions.

"What's going on?"

"A girl was attacked." Orton replied, looking stricken.

"Attacked?" I repeated.

Orton nodded. "She went to the bathroom during the show and on the way back someone hit her in the back of head and she blacked out."

"What the hell?"

"Kaitlyn found her and called H. They took her to medical." Kane stated.

"Is she okay?" I asked, worried for the young girl.

Orton shrugged. "We don't know. They ain't talking anymore."

I nodded. "Anyone know who she is?"

They all shook their heads. "They won't let us in."

"But I'm sure they won't stop you from checking things out." Kane hinted.

I shook my head and walked away. They were probably right. Medical personnel wouldn't turn me away. I wanted to believe it was because they respected me, but it probably had more to do with fear. Oh well. Didn't matter as long as they let me in.

I didn't get turned away as I made my way down the medical hallway. The first two doors held wrestlers so I passed those and made my way to the third door. I still had my gear on so I hoped whoever was in there was an Undertaker fan. Peering around the corner, I didn't see the little girl at first since three people surrounded her and only one of them was a doctor. The other two were H and Mr. McMahon himself. So she had the big guns looking after her. I wonder what she was doing by herself. A little girl should always have her parents near her. In this world, a parent could never be too careful.

I cleared my throat and H and Vince turned around to look at me. "What?" Vince barked.

I cocked an eyebrow. "Just heard that a little girl was attacked and I wanted to make sure she was okay."

Vince stepped out of the way and the 'little girl' came into view. She was little, but she was no girl. Upon seeing me her eyes went wide as saucers. I watched as she swallowed and then licked her lips. She then immediately blushed and ducked her head. My eyes narrowed. That was definitely an interesting reaction in seeing me.

"She's got a concussion from whatever hit her in the back of the head." The doctor stated.

I stepped closer to the 'girl'. "Is she going to be okay?" I asked.

She looked up at me and actually smiled. She was cute and she had the most beautiful chocolate brown eyes and some very long eyelashes.

"I'm fine, really. Thank you." She had a nice voice too.

I gave her a small grin and her face flushed a pale pink. That was another interesting reaction.

"No you aren't fine." Vince's hard voice interrupted the moment.

She looked at him. "I am really."

Vince shook his head. "You were attacked under my roof."

"What exactly happened?" I interrupted.

"She was hit in the back of the head by a blunt object. Kaitlyn rounded the corner just as the guy was about to hit her again. She yelled and the guy ran off. We haven't been able to find him, but we do have security searching the building."

"In this audience, you'll be lucky to find him again." I replied.

Vince nodded. "I know this, Calaway. But what I don't know is why you're here?" Vince questioned.

"It doesn't matter why he's here. What matters is that now he is here, he can help."

I nodded. "How can I help?"

"Aren't you off until Friday?" H asked.

Another nod. "I have a radio appearance on Wednesday but other than that I'm free. Why?"

H nodded towards the girl. "She needs a ride home and someone to stay with her for the next twenty four hours."

I slanted my eyes in her direction and hid my smile at the look on her pretty face. She did not want that at all. Her head started shaking back and forth and she started to stutter. "No, I'm okay. I promise. I'll be fine."

The doctor shakes his own head. "That may be true, but I would definitely feel better if you had someone with you for the next twenty-four hours. And you just finished telling us that your dad is now in Vegas for his job. Do you have any other friends or relatives that you could call?"

She bit down on that bottom lip and I could see the turmoil in her eyes. She slowly shook her head. "No I don't. Not that I want to bother this late." She took a deep breath. "As long as um… Mr. Taker doesn't mind.

I grin. "Call me Mark and no I don't mind. Just let me go get changed and I'll be right back."

She nodded and then swallowed. "Alright … Mark. My name is Ashley and I'll be right here."

I was barely able to contain my laughter until I hit my locker room. The poor thing acted like she was on death row. This should be fun.

* * *

After I took a shower and dressed in my customary jeans and t-shirt, I swung by and picked up Ashley. Together in silence we walked to my truck. It was a little after eleven so the place was now full of people leaving but slowly thinning out. I helped Ashley into the truck then climbed in myself after throwing my bags in the back of the truck. She already gave me her address so I knew exactly where we were going. Once we got out on the highway, I deemed it safe to 'talk.'

"Is this your first time at a Raw show?"

She nodded. "Yes. The tickets were given to me by Randy Orton and John Cena."

My eyebrows went up. "That's … interesting. How did you meet those two?"

"They came into the restaurant where I work."

"So you're a … waitress… hostess… cook… busboy?" I trailed off when I heard Ashley giggle.

"I'm a chef. They wanted to compliment my food." I was sure I heard disbelief in her voice.

"You sound like you're not so sure they should have done that." I replied.

She shrugged. "I'm good, but I don't think I'm _that_ good."

I chuckled softly. "Maybe sometime you could cook something for me and you'll let me be the judge of that."

"If that's your way of getting a dinner invitation, all you have to do is ask?" She teased playfully.

I laughed. "I'm a southern gentleman and it is rude for one as such as I to invite myself to dinner."

She laughed. "Well I do declare." She replied in a very bad Southern accent.

I laughed harder. Damn, she was adorable. "Where did you go to school at?" I asked after I got my laughter contained.

"The University of St. Louis."

"Why there?"

"I didn't want to be far from my dad."

"You two close?" I asked, looking over at her. She was looking out the window, thoughtful almost.

She slowly nodded and I turned back to the road as I made a turn. "We're very close. He's the one that got me into wrestling when I was little."

"Who's your favorite?"

She snorted and I couldn't help but smile. "Randy and John asked me the same thing and I didn't tell them either."

I let that one go. We were going to be together for the next twenty-fours. I would definitely be asking her again. "Did you always want to be a chef?" I asked, changing the subject.

"I did since I was about sixteen."

"What happened at sixteen?"

"What makes you think something happened?"

I glanced over at her, eyebrow cocked.

She rolled her eyes. "Alright something did happen, Nosy rosy." That made me grin.

"My great grandmother had just passed a few months before and it was my dad's birthday. He was going thirty-three that year and he just seemed more depressed than ever. I wanted to do something special for him so I got my Gran's cookbooks and found a few recipes that I knew he loved and I baked him this huge birthday dinner with dessert. I just enjoyed it so much and how happy it made my dad, just made me feel elated. That feeling of people enjoying the food I cooked for them still hits me every time."

"Sounds like a good feeling. I get that same feeling when I'm out in the squared circle."

"You're a damn good wrestler. I bet you get that a lot though, huh?"

"Maybe, but it's nice hearing it sometimes. So are you happy and settled in your life now?"

I heard the deep breath she took. "I am happy, but my dream is to one day own my own restaurant."

"What kind of restaurant?" I asked just I pulled into the parking lot of her condo complex.

"I want to be able to cook my Gran's family recipes, but I want to put a twist on them to make it fine dining and healthier as well."

I parked. "Sounds like a damn good plan. How are you feeling?" I replied. It was a damn good plan. I hope she accomplished her dream one day.

"My head kind of hurts, but I'm okay if you want to go back to your hotel and sleep." She sounded hopeful. Hopeful and cute.

I shook my head, looking into her eyes. "I got my bag with me. I'm staying until I know you're okay."

She sighed and nodded. "Let's go."

I grabbed my bag and offered to carry her jacket but she shook her head and grasped it to her chest. I chuckled softly as we silently made our way to the front door. There was a door man behind a security desk who buzzed Ashley in once he saw who it was.

"Hey Miss Ashley! How are you this evening?" He asked politely. He was an elderly gentleman, older than me in fact, but he looked quite happy doing his job.

"I'm good this evening, Mr. Jeffrey. How is your wife?"

He gave her a huge grin. "She's doing a lot better, Miss Ashley. Thank you for asking. Now you have a nice nice." He replied back, eying me closely.

She nodded. "You have a nice night as well."

They waved good bye and we walked to the elevators. She slid her key in and the doors opened. She had to stick her key in again before the doors shut and started upward. "This place has some excellent security."

She nodded eagerly. "That's one reason why I love it."

"What's the other reasons?"

She grinned at me. "You'll see."

I returned her grin. She leaned against the elevator wall and I took this time to actually look at her. She was wearing a pair of blue jeans that fit her nicely, but they were not tight. She had a black t-shirt on, but with her equally black –and new– jacket clutched in her arms against her chest I couldn't see any writing on the t-shirt. Could it possibly be an Undertaker t-shirt she was trying to hide? She could be an Undertaker fan? I would know soon enough. I just hoped she didn't try to sleep with me. Although sleeping with Ashley wouldn't be a bad thing. She was cute.

The elevator doors opened and we stepped out onto a foyer. It was done in a simple blue color with bright white accents. A picture of the ocean was on the one wall with a small table underneath it. The table held a vase with what I believed to white lilies.

She opened the door with another key and with her back to me I notice the back of her t-shirt. I couldn't stop the grin as I read, 'Don't be afraid; be terrified.' And my emblem was just below that. She was an Undertaker fan. How far would she carry it?

We entered her condo and I was immediately taken in by the view. She had a gorgeous view of St. Louis. I could see why she loved this place. "That view is amazing, Ash."

She smiled. "Thanks." She grabbed her phone. "I just need to call my dad and let him know that I'm okay."

I nodded. "Where can I sleep?" I asked.

"Sorry, I forgot. The first and third doors on the right side are guest bedrooms. Choose freely."

"Thanks." I replied, walkin' towards the hallway.

"Oh Mark?"

I turned at the sound of her voice. "Yes?"

"I missed you coming out. My dad is going to want to know if you did and what happened? Could you please tell me?" She was nibbling on that lower lip.

I gave her a quick run down and she was immediately grateful. I took the first room on the right, placing my bags on the bed. I always carried two bags; one with my ring gear and the other with street clothes. I made my way back into the living room and since Ashley was in the kitchen and on the phone, I nosed around, looking at pictures. There was several of an older gentleman but he was not as old as I was. Could this be her father? And if he was, how old was she? She must be quite young.

One picture showed Ashley and this man at Christmas. Ashley was young, but not much younger than she was now. She had a huge box in front of them that held pots and pans and Ashley had this huge smile on her face as she hugged this man. Another picture showed Ashley with a group of people, a high school graduation if the caps and gowns were a clue. Several more pictures I glanced at, Ashley laughing or smiling with a lot of different people, but one captured my attention more than most.

I picked it up. It was Ashley, probably around the age of seven or eight and she looked to be dressed as the Undertaker. I didn't know quite what to think of that. She looked adorable in the long trench coat and black hat. Her brown locks looked to be wet as they trailed across her shoulders. She held up a thumb as if she was slicing it across her throat. She tried to be scary, she really did but the smile on her little face shot that to hell.

"That was taken on Halloween night. I was seven I think."

I glanced over my shoulder to find her standing almost directly behind me. "Your favorite?"

She nodded. "I was hoping you wouldn't find out, but yes you are my favorite wrestler and my dad's too."

I had a feeling of dread. Was I with a ring rat? "Did you tell your dad that I was here?"

She snorted. "No way."

I placed the picture back on the shelf and turned to face her. "Why not?"

"Because he'll want to know why you're here and I'm not ready to explain that. I don't think I ever will be ready."

I couldn't explain the feeling that was welling up inside me. It was a mixture of dread and excitement. Part of me wanted this petite woman to desire me; to want me. But the other part of me didn't want to have to deal with another damn ring rat just wanting to put a notch in her bed post.

"Are you hungry?" She suddenly asked.

"I am, but you shouldn't be cooking."

She smiled and motioned towards the coffee table. I looked to see a tray full of what looked to be ham sandwiches. A few bottles of beer and bottles of water were set out too. "You did this?" I asked.

She nodded. "While I was talking to my dad. Just some simple ham sandwiches. Go ahead and eat while I go change."

I nodded and sat down on the hunter green sofa. More dread, but heavier settled deeper on my chest. She would probably come out dressed in some see through looking nightie thing and look coy and act shy. I knew she had a slight concussion, but should I fuck her anyway? I grunted. She offers, I will take.

I grabbed a ham sandwich, took a bite, and almost came in my pants. It looked like a normal ham sandwich but it was anything but fucking normal. It was the utmost greatest ham sandwich I had ever eaten. No wonder she became a fucking chef. Oh my fucking god.

"You like it?"

I turned to look at her and almost choked. She was wearing a pair of pajama pants that were baby blue with clouds on them and men's button up t-shirt. She was covered from throat to ankle. She was not dressed to seduce. I didn't know whether to be disappointed or relieved.

I slowly nodded, watching her take the seat in the matching recliner across from me. "This has to be the best ham sandwich I have ever eaten. What's in it?" I asked, taking another huge bite.

She giggled. "It's not your average deli ham. I baked the ham myself using a brown sugar glaze concoction that my Gran invented. Then the mayo isn't quite mayo exactly. It's another secret sauce that my Gran made. She was all about sauces and such."

She grabbed one of the sandwiches for herself as I finished my first and started on my second. "Did you take any aspirin?" I asked.

She shook her head and winced. "The doctor gave me some pain meds and told me not to take anything else. My head still hurts especially when I move it, but I'm trying to ignore it."

"Do you work tomorrow?"

"Yes but I don't have to go in until later in the afternoon. I have to help my assistants prep."

"Do you always help?" I asked, finishing my second sandwich and grabbed a third.

She nodded, nibbling her sandwich. "I like to help. The guys are great in the kitchen and I can completely rely on them, but I like to prep."

"How many assistants do you have?"

We continue to talk back and forth well into the night. I found it quite easy to open up to this pint size woman with her chocolate brown eyes and brown curly hair. I actually found myself laughing often; full on belly laughs and my head thrown back laughs. The conversation we had was innocent, fun, and interesting. We talked about her dad and her assistants. We talked about my ex-wife and my children. We talked about my career and hers. We talked about everything. I had completely forgotten the real reason why I was even there. I was sincerely glad that she didn't try to seduce me or end up being a ring rat. I had just made the decision to add her to my list of friends. I didn't have many friends that I could turn to or talk to or even relax around, but I knew Ashley could be one of them. I just hoped she felt the same way. But as of right now, I had another question that I had been wanting to ask since I discovered she was an Undertaker fan.

"How big of an Undertaker fan are you?" I asked.

Those teeth sunk into that lower lip and she gulped. She looked quite guilty. I was most certainly intrigued.


	3. Stunned, Shocked, & In Awe

**THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU TO: LILYWHITE25, KEPOUROS, FIRECRACKER, THESILENTARTIST2225, & SONIB89 FOR YOUR FABULOUS REVIEWS! I LOVED THEM! **

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own WWE, but this story is 100% MINE! **

**This chapter's quote-**

_"Undertaker has this aura about him-when you see him, whether it's far away or up close, it just lets you know that he's not only the leader of the locker room, he's almost the father back stage. I'm confident in my work, I've been doing this for years. I feel like when I go out there, all eyes are on me and I feel like I'm better than everyone, and if I were to be standing across from Undertaker in the ring, literally just his entrance would almost make me ask, 'Am I actually good enough to be standing across from him?' That's the aura and pressure he gives off." -Dolph Ziggler _

Chapter Three  
Stunned, Shocked, & In Awe

Tuesday April 9, 2013

"How big of an Undertaker fan are you?" He asked her with a small grin.

Her teeth automatically sunk into her bottom lip and she gulped. She knew she probably looked guilty, but how could she not. She was a major Undertaker fan and it showed in almost every part of her house. Her kitchen held glasses and coffee mugs. Her living DVD collection held every possible WWE documentary done. Every one of them definitely had Taker in them. Her bathroom and the guest bathroom held towels and clocks. And she didn't want to think about her bedroom or the closet itself. A blanket and a pillow on her bed and her closet was filled with shirts, sweatshirts, jackets, and even a pair of pants held the Undertaker's emblem. Not to mention the little figurines she had that she got from the toy department. She was Undertaker obsessed and she knew it. Her dad knew it and indulged her since she was little. She never had to ask for it, he would just always get it for her.

She didn't want to scare this man in front of her. He was funny, witty, and he was sweet as ever. She didn't want him to go run screaming from her condo. And she was really afraid that once she told him how obsessed she was, he would most likely leave like his ass was on fire. But she knew the truth was the only way to go.

So she took a deep breath. "You really want to know how much of an Undertaker fan I am?" She asked, drawing out each word slowly.

His eyes narrowed. "Yes I do." He replied, equally slow.

She waved her arm, motioning towards her condo. "Then just look around. There's Undertaker stuff in the kitchen, in the bathrooms, in this very living room, and in my bedroom. I have practically every piece of Undertaker merchandise since they started the franchise of you; of the Undertaker. Glasses, clocks, DVDs, blankets, pillows, shirts, pants, and even figurines. I am Undertaker obsessed and I am very proud of that fact."

Well he didn't run screaming so she gave him points for that, but he did look at her a little more closely. Like he was examining her; seeing inside her; to her very soul. She knew she should be worried especially when his gorgeous green eyes darkened than narrowed, but she had no fear of this man.

"But yet you don't act as if you are star struck." He commented.

A smile touched her face. "Oh I'm star struck. I'm stunned that you brought me home without any argument on your part. I'm stunned that you stayed here with me to make sure that I'm okay when I know you're tired and probably in some pain. I'm shocked that I'm sitting in front of my favorite wrestler and I'm having a decent conversation with him and that I made him laugh. I'm shocked that you seem to enjoy yourself in my company. Me?! Little ol' me! I'm in awe because you truly are a remarkable man. And I'm in awe because not very many people get to see this amazing side of you. And I am getting to see this side. So yes I am very much star struck, Mr. Calaway."

He was silent as he watched her. His eyes scanning every inch of her face and then trailing down her body in an almost intimate caress. She wanted to move away from his penetrating gaze, but she wasn't able to. He held her in place with those enchanting green orbs. Almost as if he was waiting for something; a sign of some sort. She didn't know what to say now, but she was suddenly regretting opening her mouth and baring her soul to this man. But wasn't that what he did for a living, capture souls. She blinked as he reached and grabbed another sandwich; his fourth. He ate slowly, taking his time. He wanted to wait then so would she.

While she waited, she took in the man in front of her. She had seen him countless times in the ring, wrestling, fighting for his life sometimes. But she had never seen this particular man in front of her. His hair was cut short, barely there and she kind of wished it was still long. She always loved his long curly locks. His hair was a lot curlier than hers and she loved it. He had a high forehead which made his face longer which only made him more attractive. His eyes were just simply gorgeous. Her favorite color in fact. He had a good size nose but in the structure of his face, it worked for him. He had a beautiful smile and the lines around his mouth showed that he smiled a lot. She noticed those laugh lines earlier when she had him laughing so hard, she was sure he was going to bust a gut. She normally hated facial hair, but on him it only added to his appeal. She loved it when he reach up and stroke his chin, like he was deep in thought. Hell maybe he was.

She cut her eyes further down to his black t-shirt with the flaming skull on the front of it. The t-shirt hugged his biceps and his massive chest. She was sure at any moment the shirt seams were going pop and the shirt would just melt away. Wishing thinking, maybe. He was a good looking man. The t-shirt also emphasized his flat muscled stomach. His black jeans were tight, enveloping his huge thighs. The black cowboy boots also added to his appeal. Yes, she was definitely star struck. She would never in a million years forget tonight. It would be forever etched in her brain; in her memories.

"So you would say you're stunned, shocked, and in awe?"

His deep memorizing voice pulled Ashley from her thoughts. "What?"

His lips twitched in an almost grin. "I said… so you're stunned, shocked, and in awe?" He repeated.

She nodded. "Yes you could most certainly say that. Stunned, shocked, and in complete awe."

"But yet…"

He trailed off so Ashley picked it up. "But what?"

"You're not a ring rat, are you?" He sounded almost confused.

She couldn't help but wrinkle her nose in complete disgust. "No offense to the young ladies who decide to do that with their life, but I'm sorry. You're my beyond favorite wrestler and I simply adore you and I will cherish this night always, but I will not sleep with you just because you're my favorite wrestler." Ashley replied feeling a little offended. She liked the Undertaker and she liked Mark, but she didn't want him thinking that she would sleep with him just because he was a wrestler and her favorite at that.

Suddenly, Mark broke out in a huge grin. "That's damn good to know, Darlin'."

Now she was confused. "It is?"

He nodded, finished his sandwich (his fifth) and stood up. He grabbed the empty platter and empty bottles and walked towards the kitchen. Ashley followed him, immediately washing the platter as Mark threw the empty bottles into the recycling bin. They worked in silence cleaning up the kitchen, Ashley feeling more in awe than before. Finally when the kitchen was clean, Mark spoke. He was leaning up against the corner cabinet, arms and feet crossed, his eyes focused in on Ashley.

"It's a damned good thing you aren't a ring rat because I like you." He stated.

"You do." She squeaked. She actually flipping squeaked.

That made him smile. "I do. You're down to earth, funny, and you say what's on your mind. Not to mention you're adorable, pretty to look at, and the best chef I've ever known."

She blushed and ducked her head. And that made him laugh. "You're not so bad yourself, Mr. Calaway." She replied with a small smile.

He chuckled again. "Alright it's almost three in the morning and you need to get some rest. I keep forgetting that you were hit in the head just a few hours ago."

"I'm okay. My headache is almost gone now." She started out of the kitchen, stopping to stand beside Mark. And she had to look way up. Wow, he was flipping huge. She thought about it for just a minute before she shrugged her shoulders, stood on tippy toe and kissed his cheek.

"Thank you Mark." Her voice was soft and sincere.

She walked away and to her bedroom.

"I'll wake you up every hour."

She nodded her understanding. "Okay."

"And Ashley?"

She stopped and looked over her shoulder.

"You're welcome."

* * *

He woke her up every hour until nine in the morning. Every time he woke her up, he asked her a series of questions.

What is your name? Ashley.

How old are you? Twenty-four.

What state are you in? You don't know?

He would laugh and ask again.

What state are you in? She would giggle. Missouri.

What city? St. Louis.

Who is your favorite wrestler?

That answer changed each time he asked… Cena. Orton. Sheamus. Punk. Triple H. Kane. Every time Mark would snort and tell her to try again. Only then would she tell him the Undertaker.

Then for the last question, it would always be something completely crazy and the answer could really be anything.

Why is the sky blue? Because purple just wouldn't work.

How long have circles been round? Since squares have been square.

What is your favorite color? The color of your eyes.

What is your favorite food? Yogurt.

What is your favorite animal? Giraffe.

What is your deepest darkest secret? I love you.

His answer to those questions was always the same. He would laugh lightly and say, 'good to know'.

He would then leave her bedroom and she would immediately fall back to sleep. She didn't have any nightmares and she slept like a baby when he wasn't bothering her. At nine thirty, she woke up and couldn't go back to sleep. So she got up, went to the bathroom, washed her hands, and then went to find Mark. She found him on the couch, dozing.

"Mark?" She called his name softly.

He turned to look at her. "You okay?"

She nodded and stretched. "I slept great. Well in between your questions."

She walked over and sat down next to him. "Uh yes those questions… you know you told me you wanted me and bad."

She snorted. "You know it."

He laughed. "Glad to hear you admit it."

She laughed and shook her head. "Are you hungry? Or would rather just go take a nap first? You can take the guest bedroom."

He gave her a lopsided grin. "I ate some more of that ham while you were sleeping so I would much rather take a nap, Darlin'."

She nodded, smiling. "Go rest, Mark. You very much deserve it."

Mark kissed her cheek and left the room with that graceful ease she knew he possessed no matter where he went or what he did. He was just graceful, agile, and beautiful. She touched her cheek where Mark kissed her and she blushed. He was so sweet.

She shook her head and got up. After grabbing a strawberry yogurt and pouring herself a glass of orange juice, she sat down to check her email. She had more spam than actual email, but that was okay. Easy to sort through and delete. She received an email from Eric that made her smile. She received an email from Margo and Cynthia; two of assistants. Both of them had questions and a slight problem at the restaurant. She took care of those just in time for her phone to ring.

She smiled.

"Hey Dad!"

"Hey Sunshine! How are you this morning?"

"Well rested and happy. How are you?"

"Tired and worn out. This client is a pain in my ass."

Ashley frowned. "Oh no. What's going on, Dad?"

He let out a sigh that just a sign of how close he was to giving up. "You know I can't say much, but this guy just doesn't want to mellow out. He's got a very important court hearing coming up and he won't stop getting into more trouble. So I'm here trying to get him settle down and just relax."

"I'm sorry, Dad. He sounds horrid."

He chuckled. "He's a lot more than just horrid, but that definitely describes him. But enough about him. You gave me a run down of what happened, but did anything else happen last night. You seemed kind of distracted. If I was a better father, I would have called you on it last night."

"You stop that! You're a wonderful father and I didn't really want to get into last night."

He cursed under his breath. "I knew I shouldn't have left. What happened, Sunshine?"

He sounded worried and scared and she hated when he sounded like that. "It was right before Taker came to the ring; I had to go to the bathroom real bad. When I was on my way back to my seat, I was hit from behind and I blacked out."

Her dad let out a string of very loud expletives. "Are you okay? What the fuck, Sunshine? Why didn't you say anything last night? Did you go to the hospital? Did you—"

She interrupted. "Dad, take a deep breath." She waited until he did. "Thank you. Now… I'm fine. I really am. I do have a slight concussion, but the medical doctor for WWE treated it last night. He even sent one of the wrestlers home with me to wake me up every hour to make sure I was okay. And I am okay."

"Who in the hell would attack you, Sunshine?"

Ashley took a deep breath. That was a good question. It was just too bad she didn't know the answer. "I don't know, Dad."

"What wrestler did they send you home with?" He asked, curious and a little worried it sounded.

She really didn't want to tell him. She knew her dad would tell everyone that would listen that the Undertaker spent the night taking care of his daughter when she had a concussion. She didn't want that, but she would not lie to her father.

"Daddy, you have to promise not to tell anyone. Not. A. Soul."

He sighed. "This must be big, Sunshine. I promise."

She knew he would keep that promise. "It was the Undertaker."

"No shit?"

She giggled. "Yes it was. He was so sweet. We stayed up until three in morning talking."

"About?"

"Everything and anything. I made him my ham sandwiches."

"Oh shit, you're ham sandwiches, huh? He'll have you at the altar before the week is out." He teased her.

Ashley laughed. "He did like them."

"I bet. Can I talk to him?"

"I'm sorry Dad, he's asleep. He stayed up all night, waking me up every hour. So as soon as I was up, I made him take a nap in the guest room."

Her dad chuckled. "Smart girl."

She beamed. "Thanks Dad."

"Now I'm going to let you go. I should be home within the next couple of days. If I can get this client of mine back to the city he belongs in. But I want you to fix our man one of my favorite recipes and I think you know exactly what I'm talking about."

She laughed. "Yes Dad, I do and I will."

"Love you to the moon and beyond, Sunshine."

"Beyond the stars and the planets, Daddy."

She hung up the phone feeling a lot better than she did before. Her dad always had that effect on her. She signed out of her email and headed to the kitchen. It was almost three in the afternoon so it was a good time to start her dinner. She checked her cabinets to make sure she had all the ingredients and smiled to herself when discovered that she did. She immediately set to work.

The first thing she did was set her inside grill –her baby– on high. Her state of the art kitchen was her dream kitchen. She loved it and she loved cooking in it. She then measured two tablespoons of crumbled goat cheese into a medium bowl and mashed it with a spoon until it was creamy. She then added a few teaspoons of white wine vinegar, some dry mustard, minced shallot, parsley and a pinch of salt and pepper. After whisking that together, she then added two teaspoons of extra virgin olive oil and blended that.

Grabbing a small head of radicchio, she cut it into halves and then cored it into half quarters. She speared the small pieces of radicchio and baby beets onto skewers, alternating radicchio then baby beets. She drizzled a little extra virgin olive oil over the skewers.

She defrosted the New York strips and then rubbed extra virgin oil over the steaks. Then she sprinkled salt and pepper over both the skewers and the steak. Ashley then grilled the steaks on each side for about four minutes making them both about a medium-rare. Grilling the skewers at the same time, she waited until the radicchio began to wilt before removing them and the steaks.

She took down her favorite plates; black square plates with silver curls in one corner. She placed a steak on each one and then each of them got two skewers, but she removed the sticks first. She then drizzled the cheese sauce over the steaks and the radicchio and baby beet mixture. She set the table with the plates and ice sweet tea –because she didn't have any wine on hand– and then grabbed the utensils. She had just finished when Mark walked in looking drowsy, sexy, and adorable as hell.

She grinned. "You sleep well?"

He inhaled loudly and Ashley stifled a giggle. "I did, but waking up to that smell was even better. What is that?"

"Take a seat please." She told him and he did. He took a huge gulp of the tea and moaned in pleasure.

"Sweet tea… oh baby girl that sure does hit the spot."

She did giggle then as she took her seat across from him. "This is grilled steak with pepper grilled radicchio and beets with a goat cheese sauce." She explained.

"It looks delicious."

"Thanks. This is my dad's favorite meal."

Mark nodded as he cut a piece of steak and popped it into his mouth. A loud moan filled the air and he took another bite. After swallowing he reached out to grab Ashley's hand. "Marry me. Run away with me and let's get married." He teased her with a grin.

She laughed. "I'm busy this evening, but maybe tomorrow."

He groaned. "I just might cancel my radio appearance to do just that."

That made her laugh harder. "You're silly."

After taking several more bites, he responded, pointing his fork at her. "And you, baby girl are the best cook in St. Louis. Maybe Missouri." He took another bite. "No I'm sure it's the best in United States."

"You sure know how to inflate a girl's ego, Mr. Calaway."

He grinned at her. "Only yours, Ash."

"Awww… thanks." She returned his smile.

His smiled widened and his eyes shined with mischief and playfulness. "You're welcome."

Stunned, shocked, and in awe.


	4. Phone Calls

**THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU TO JOHNCENAFAN101, JODI, SONIB89, THESILENTARTIST2225, KEEPER OF OZ, HEERAH34, & LYNNIE VICIOUS FOR YOUR REVIEWS! **

**This chapter's quote: **

_"When you meet him, it's like you forget to breathe. He's the ultimate teacher. Actually, he's more like the Dean in Animal House. You're always on Double Secret Probation. But, in all seriousness, he's not just great in the ring-he's great, **period**. His spacing, timing, the way he carries himself. You can't emulate what he does, but you can attempt to learn from the discipline he embodies." -Brodus Clay  
_

Chapter Four  
Phone Calls

**Wednesday April 10, 2013**

I didn't leave until Wednesday morning. And I didn't want to leave then. Spending the day with Ashley was an experience I wouldn't soon forget. She was supposed to go to work, but I talked her into staying home. Yeah I know that was wrong. So she called and after making sure they didn't need her (I was sure they needed her but it wasn't busy at the restaurant), she stayed home and entertained me. So after eating our dinner which was outstanding by the way, we spent the evening watching movies and laughing at how stupid some of them are and discussing the more serious parts. For an evening snack after watching those two very different movies, Ashley made a pizza with goat cheese and arugula. Never heard of arugula before, but on pizza with goat cheese, it was simply fucking delicious.

We then watched The Possession and Ashley ended up snuggled against me, face buried in my side at parts. She then fell asleep in my arms. I didn't mind, not in the least. I propped my legs up on her coffee table, put my arms around her, and went to sleep myself. I woke up several hours later with a pain in my neck and a sweet softness by my side. She was slowly coming awake and I was sure she just might panic being a man's arms she barely knew. But she didn't. She looked straight at me and smiled. 'Thanks for being my pillow.' She told me before getting to her feet.

She surprised me then by telling me that she was hungry and she was going to fix dessert. Now normally I probably would have turned down the dessert, but this was Ashley's dessert and although I hadn't had any of her dessert, I did however have her ham sandwiches, steak, and goat cheese pizza so I was all for the dessert. She was in the kitchen for over twenty minutes, moving around and opening doors. I asked if she needed my help and she turned me down. She finally came back in carrying a tray that held two plates that had steam rising up and two glasses of milk. It turned out to be what she called hot apple jack. It was an apple turnover of sorts with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, hot caramel drizzled over the ice cream and then whip cream to top it off. Biting into the apple turnover was like an orgasm in my mouth. It was spiced just right with cinnamon and sugar and just a hint of nutmeg. The apples were perfectly cooked and melted in my mouth. I ate it all and was pleasantly full. Okay, I was stuffed but I would do it all over again if I could.

After we cleaned up the kitchen together and watching her yawn over a dozen times, I kissed her cheek and told her to go to bed. She nodded, kissed my cheek in return told me to go to bed , and then went to bed herself. I went to the guest bedroom and slept the best night's sleep I've had in a long time. I woke up the next morning to the smell of bacon, eggs, coffee, and something else I couldn't place. I took a quick shower(very quick) and dressed in a pair of blue jeans and olive green t-shirt. I walked barefoot into the kitchen and just watched my new friend cook us breakfast. She was wearing a pair of yoga pants with a Randy Orton t-shirt that went to her knees. I was offended by that t-shirt, but I could only smile. Her curly brown hair was lying in wet ringlets down her back. She had also just had a shower. I watched her for the longest time, she was making omelets and they smelled damn good. I was going to have to double my work out or I was going to gain some extra pounds that I didn't need nor want.

She smiled over her shoulder at me and told me to sit down. She brought me a cup of black coffee and small glass of orange juice before setting a plate in front of me that held the biggest omelet I had ever seen. It was also the best tasting omelet I had ever had. Chorizo, potato, and green chiles in an omelet with bacon cooked perfectly and fresh homemade biscuits. Definitely going to have to double my work out. After eating breakfast and packing my bag, I told her I had to go. I didn't want to go, but I didn't say that. She smiled and handed me a bag. I kissed her cheek and did something I never have before.

I got her cell phone and home number. I told her I would be calling and I would be stopping by again if she didn't mind. She smiled at me and said something that made me smile in return. 'Mind? Do I mind if my all-time favorite dead man stops by to see _me_? _Me_?' She sighed and shook her head. 'Stunned, shocked, and in awe, Mark.' She then kissed my cheek and gave me the biggest hug I've ever experienced. And she sent me off with four of those ham sandwiches of hers (that's what was in the bag). Those were gone before I got to the airport and I just ate breakfast. Definitely going to have to double maybe triple my work out.

Now I was in my hotel room on this lazy Wednesday evening, wishing I was back in St. Louis. That was a new one for me. I normally was glad to see the last of a woman, but Ashley wasn't any other woman. I was keeping her. I found that I could relax easy in her presence and I didn't have to worry about what I said or what I did. She was a breath of fresh air. My radio appearance went well, but after taking a shower and getting settled in this uncomfortable hotel bed, and grabbing my cell phone, I was ready to call Ashley.

"Hello?"

"Hey baby girl, how was your day?" I had continued to call her baby girl after my first slip up, seeing as how she didn't seem to mind and she needed her own special nick name.

"Hey Mark! My day was great, but busy. How are you? Did you enjoy your sandwiches?" She sounded happy.

"I'm good. I finished my sandwiches before I made it to the airport." I admitted.

"Wow. You really like those, huh?"

I moaned at just the thought of those ham sandwiches. "They're delicious."

She giggled. "Thanks. How did your radio appearance go?"

I gasped in disbelief. "You didn't listen?" I teased her.

She laughed. "I was working so I wasn't able to. And it's definitely best to have no outside interference in the kitchen during lunch hour."

"Busy, huh?"

She blew out a breath. "Antonio was back today and when he's gone for a few days and comes back, it's like he forgets how to run the kitchen."

"He does that a lot?" I questioned.

She gave a small snort and I found myself smiling at the sound. "He does it all the time. He believes that he should get a vacation at least once a week."

"A week?" I couldn't believe that.

She giggled and my grin got bigger. She was just full of life and absolutely adorable. "Yep." She even popped the 'p'.

"How come they haven't fired him?"

"He's family."

"Who's family?"

"The owner's family. Like third cousin twice removed or something like that."

I laughed. "Those third cousins are pain in the ass, huh?"

"Yes definitely. Today he was throwing a fit because he didn't want to use my sauce for the wellington, he wanted to use the original sauce."

"What did the customer want?"

"_My_ customers wanted my sauce."

"Your customers, huh?"

"Yep." Popped the 'p' again.

"Then Tony should have gotten over his little hissy fit and done it the customer's way." I replied.

Ashley suddenly burst out laughing and I hadn't a clue what I said to make her laugh so hard, but I was enjoying it. I could tell she was trying to catch her breath and she wasn't having much success. Then she started coughing and I started to worry she was going to choke.

"Ash, calm down. You're going to make yourself sick."

"Worth it." She hissed through more laughter and I smiled once again.

"Well share whatever has you in such giggle fits."

It took her a good five more minutes before she finally got her laughter under control. "You wanna know why I was laughing so hard?"

"Yes I do, so spill."

She giggled. "You called Antonio Tony."

"And?" I didn't get it.

Another giggle. "Antonio hates being called Tony and if you call him Tony, he flips out and threatens bodily harm on that person."

"Go on."

"I just got this image in my head of you calling him Tony to his face and Antonio peeing his pants."

I chuckled. "You think he would pee his pants?"

She was still laughing. "Oh yes he would. Antonio prides himself on being a bully. He's about six foot, but he has no muscle mass, a very tiny head, and giant ears. He was bullied himself most of his childhood so he bullies others now. He's about ten times worse than that when it comes to his name. He's completely Italian through and through so he's proud of his name. He does not like to be degraded."

"And calling him Tony is degrading?"

"To his Italian heritage it is."

"And me calling him Tony is funny because…" I asked because I still wasn't quite sure.

"Because it will take everything in him to back down because he knows he can't win against you. But he won't want to back down and he'll probably end up peeing his pants."

"The next time I'm in St. Louis, I'll stop by the restaurant."

She giggled again. "That would be awesome. When is the next time you'll be in St. Louis?"

I sighed. "Not for another few months, Darlin'."

This time she sighed. "Too bad. I would love to see you again."

I heard her gasp of …surprise, shock? I wasn't sure why, but I was sure she gasped. "What's wrong?"

"I'm sorry."

What? "For what?"

"For just assuming that you would, I guess want to see me. I mean if you do that's great but I don't expect you to come see me every time you come to St. Louis. Although I would…"

She continued to ramble on and I controlled the urge to laugh. She was absolutely adorable. Of course I wanted to come see her as soon as I got to St. Louis. She was too much to pass up.

"Ashley?"

She stopped rambling. "Yes."

"I definitely want to come see you when I get to St. Louis."

"Good. I definitely want to see you too."

"That's damn good news, baby girl."

* * *

**Friday April 12, 2013**

"Mark! I'm so glad you called!"

I laughed as I settled myself against another uncomfortable as hell hotel bed. "Why is that?" I teased.

"Um… because I missed you Silly."

"I just talk to you last night."

She huffed. "I know, but you weren't on Smackdown tonight and I was seriously hoping you would be."

"Hoping to catch a peek at my sexy ass?" I teased her with a grin. I was far from it, but teasing her was a given and definitely fun.

She giggled. "Oh you know it, Honey."

I couldn't help but laugh. She never let me trip her up. "Well, I wasn't on Smackdown for a reason."

"Can you tell me?" She asked cautiously.

"I can tell you that I was in negotiations." I was completely nonchalant about it.

She squealed. "Negotiations! Hopefully with WWE discussing a new story line maybe." She was hinting.

I chuckled. "I can't tell a lie so I'm not going to say anything at all." I replied with simple ease.

She went to squealing louder and I was almost she was dancing around the room. "Mark, that's awesome! It's been about three years since you've wrestled on a non pay per view show. Wait –you are going to wrestle, right?"

"Yes I do believe so."

"Oooo! I can't wait!"

"How was your day, Baby Girl?" I asked, still laughing.

"Antonio went on vacation so all was good around Harley's." Harley's Pub and Grill was where she worked so I had come to learn.

"Tony goes on vacation quite a bit. Harley really needs to fire him, cousin or not."

"Harley needs to do a lot of things, but he won't. He hates that restaurant."

"Then why own it?"

"Family business, Mark."

"What a crazy ass family." I commented.

Ashley laughed and then made an mmmm sound.

"What are you doing?" I was curious.

"Eating."

I groaned; almost in pain. "What are you eating?" I was afraid to know. I was afraid not to know. I needed to know.

"It's orecchiette with ricotta and chard pan sauce."

"It's what?" I hadn't a clue what she just said.

"Orecchiette is a type of pasta. Chard is a type of a lettuce. With a little virgin olive oil, butter, crushed red pepper, ricotta salata, asiago, milk, salt, and pepper, it makes a great pasta dish."

"Well I'm officially inviting myself to dinner as soon as I can make it to St. Louis." Which was going to be sooner than I had originally thought. I wasn't really sure about the orecchiette or whatever she called it, but if she made it I was willing to try it.

She laughed. "You don't need to invite yourself because you will always be welcomed to dinner. Along with Randy Orton and John Cena."

I wanted to pout, but I held it in check. "Why Orton and Cena?" I questioned, but there was no pouting.

She laughed. "Because if it wasn't for them I would have never gotten the tickets and never have gotten hit in the head and never met you."

I frowned at that. I had actually completely forgotten about that and I didn't like that I had forgotten. "Did you go to the police? What did they say?" I completely changed the subject. Some things were more important.

"Mr. McMahon met me there yesterday and I reported the incident and gave them a doctor's note that stated that I had a concussion but due to a very nice and very sweet man that my concussion was all better. The police said they would look into it."

"And what do you think?"

"I think the Shield needs a butt kicking and you are just the one to do it." She replied back. I knew she didn't want to talk about what had happened Monday night and for now I wouldn't push it.

"You do, huh?"

"Yes I do and someone told me that you, Kane, and Daniel Bryan would be facing the Shield in London on April twenty-second."

I laughed. "You would be correct."

"The brothers of destruction back together again with goat boy in attendance." She used a fake announcer's voice.

I laughed. "Don't let Bryan hear you say that."

She laughed. "I won't. Promise."

"Do you not like Bryan?" I asked, completely curious.

"I do like Daniel Bryan and I like Team Hell No as well. But Daniel seriously needs a shave."

I laughed harder. "I would definitely agree with ya there."

"The Shield is full of crap, Mark. I seriously hope you kick their butts. All that stuff they said was a bunch of lies. They claimed they don't back down or run from a fight, but that's exactly what they do the very moment the numbers are even, they tuck their tail between their legs and run."

"You got their number, Baby girl."

"Damn straight."

* * *

**Monday April 15, 2013**

"Hello?"

She sounded sleepy; like I had just woke her up. "Did I wake you, Baby girl?" I teased her.

She giggled. "Hi Mark. Where are you?" Her voice was soft, sweet.

"I'm in South Carolina. Where are you?"

"In bed."

That made me smile. The thought of her in bed was a very nice thought indeed. But as I shook my head clear of that thought I knew I shouldn't be thinking it. She was a friend, a very damn good friend.

"Can I join you?" I replied with a teasing husky tone.

She giggled. "That depends."

This should be good. "On what, Ashley?"

"On rather or not you're here. Are you here?"

"In St. Louis or at your apartment?" I asked.

She giggled. "What's the difference? If you're at my apartment than you're in St. Louis and if you're in St. Louis than you can be at my apartment pretty quickly. So what's really the difference?"

"That's very true, but unfortunately I'm in South Carolina."

"I know, you just told me, Silly."

I chuckled. "But if I was there?" I asked.

"Then you could bring me cup of hot chocolate and hand me the remote so I wouldn't have to get out of bed."

I frowned. Something wasn't right. "Ashley, are you okay?"

She sniffed. "I'm fine. I promise. I'm just super tired and really cold."

"You running a fever?"

"No, I'm not sick. I'm just tired and very cold."

"You sure?"

"I am. Can you tell me something?"

I hoped she wasn't lying about the fever. She just had a damn concussion, she didn't need to get sick on top of that. "You know I'll tell you anything I can."

"What's up with Punk?"

I sighed. "That's a loaded question, Darlin'. That man is up to a lot of things. Why do you ask?"

"He seemed really weird tonight. I don't really like Punk, but tonight he seemed almost... likeable."

I chuckled. "He lost to me at Wrestlemania. He's depressed and sad and now he knows he isn't the best in the world."

"Yeah that may be true. When are you going to be back on WWE?" She sounded sad.

"Not until Monday, Darlin'."

"I'll definitely record it."

I chuckled. "I had no doubt. How's work?"

"We're introducing a new dessert tomorrow and I'm excited while Antonio is dreading it."

"Tony sounds like he needs his ass beat. Does he give you a lot of problems?"

"Nothing I can't handle, Mark."

I wasn't so sure about that one. I was beginning to wonder if it was him that night on Raw. Could he be the type of person to get so jealous that he would try and kill her? I needed to meet this Tony guy to make sure he wasn't that type. Ashley was definitely one of a kind and some dumb ass that was jealous of her was not about to take her life.

"Mark, you're quiet."

"Sorry Darlin' I was just thinking."

"You know you don't need to call me every night, right?"

That got my attention. "You don't like that I call?"

She snorted. "Shocked, stunned, and in awe, Mark. I love that you call, but I just don't want you to think that I – I only want to make sure – I don't want you to stop calling, I just want to make sure that you want to call and not that you feel obligated to call."

It was my turn to snort. "I don't feel obligated to call you, Baby girl. I call you because I want to. I don't do it for you, I do it for me."

"Really?" She didn't believe me.

Laughter filled my chest and I smiled. "Yes really. I enjoy talking with you and I'm hoping this weekend when I come visit, you let me come visit."

"Let you? Visit? Have you lost your mind? I would love for you to come visit and you can stay in my guest room."

"Are you sure you don't mind?" I asked.

"I'm definitely sure, Mark. So you're coming to St. Louis this weekend?"

"I am."

"For Raw or Smackdown?"

I cleared my throat. "For neither actually. I just thought I would come visit you."

That statement meant silence. For about ten seconds. Then I heard the sound of retching. Ashley was sick.

* * *

Author's Note: Friday night Smackdown was flipping awesome! I knew without a doubt that Taker would win and I knew that as soon as he did, The Shield would be asses and do exactly what they did. So from all of us, Mark.. Kick Their ASSES!


	5. Who Could Have? And Why?

**THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU TO SONIB89, DIXIEWINWRITES12, GUEST, LYNNIE VICIOUS, HEERAH34, THESILENTARTIST2225, KEEPER OF OZ, FIRECRACKER, JOHNCENAFAN101, & CELTICCHOCOLATELOVER FOR YOUR REVIEWS! THANK YOU TO FAMOUSWOLF FOR YOUR PM REVIEW! **

Author's Note: Guess what.. I'm horrible.. I'm changing the name of this story... I thought Cookin' It Up would work, but it doesn't anymore. Sometimes a story takes on a life of its own and this story has done exactly that. So now the name will be... Stunned, Shocked, and In Awe... Long name I know but it fits.. doesn't it?

This chapter's quote...

_"I'm a Division 1 All-American. I've competed across multiple levels; and, when I first faced Undertaker, I had been with the company long enough that I had my feet under me. Well, all that went right out the window when that bell hit and the lights went out. I just got goosebumbs right now describing it to you, in fact. In a moment like that, you have no choice but to fall back on your gut and instincts. Because you're on his turf, you're in his territory. And you are on borrowed time."_ -Jack Swagger

Chapter Five  
Who Could Have? And Why?

**Wednesday April 10, 2013**

The very moment Mark pulled out of her parking lot, she started to get ready for work. She was on cloud nine and that cloud not only had a silver lining, but it was made entirely out of silver. She just spent over thirty-two hours with her favorite wrestler. How many people got to say that? Not many she was sure of that. She jumped in the shower and quickly washed, thinking of Mark the whole time. He was such a sweetheart. And funny too! She really didn't think she had ever laughed so hard in all her life. Her best friends from high school had never made her laugh as he had. Not even Eric for that matter and he was all the time trying to get her to crack up while cooking.

Mark just had this personality about him that made him easy to like and easy to get along with. He was the complete opposite of his brooding character, the Undertaker. Mark had admitted to her over their goat cheese pizza that he had a dark side. She had told him that she couldn't believe that and Mark had told her to believe it. That when he got angry, he was a force to be reckoned with and that he was an evil bastard when he got mad. However it took quite a lot to make him truly angry. And not a whole lot of people have seen that side of him. Not even his wrestling world.

As she washed her hair, she grinned. He had assured her that he would never lay a hand on her. That he didn't hit women nor children. She wasn't scared of Mark. She knew deep in her heart that he wouldn't hurt her; physically or emotionally. He was just this sweet man, an amazing man that chose wrestling as a profession. And thank God that he did because he was awesome. He was completely wonderful and she was completely in awe of the Phenom himself. There was just something about him that drew her to him.

She mustn't get her up hopes though. He was a professional and he was super busy in his line of work. He spent a lot time on the road and she seriously doubted she would ever really 'see' him again. He had his family and friends to spend time with so he didn't really need her for anything. Although he did get her phone numbers so she could have a little hope. Right? At least maybe he would call her and she would be perfectly okay with that. In fact she would seriously love it. Stunned, shocked, and in awe.

She drove to the restaurant on auto pilot, still on cloud nine. She arrived twenty minutes before she needed to be but she smiled when she saw that Eric was already here. She breezed in, putting on her apron and then washing her hands, all the way up to her elbows. As she was scrubbing, Eric came into the kitchen with a smile on his face and a spring in his step. She resisted the urge to laugh for she knew Eric got laid last night. He was so predictable.

"Well look at the smile on your pretty little face. Did you have _fun_ Monday night?" Eric asked, giving her one of his award-winning smiles.

Ashley laughed. "I had a blast Monday night. Raw was amazing and it was definitely a chance of a lifetime experience for me." She replied as she finished washing her hands and began to prepare for tonight's service.

Eric grabbed a rack of lamb and did the same, cutting the lamb into the perfect slices for serving. He glanced over at Ashley, watching her and her very expressive face. Emotions were flittering across her face and he smiled to himself. She was so damn cute and beautiful too, especially when she smiled. He wondered what happened yesterday that made her call in because she never called into work. Work was her life; her passion; her career. So whatever the reason was why she missed yesterday, he knew it had to be good. Now to make her tell him why.

"So spill, Sweetheart. I want details. Lots and lots of details."

She gave a 'what' look. "You don't like wrestling. You think it's fake and cheesy so why do you want to know the details of Monday night?" She asked, wondering what he was up to.

He cut her a look before going back to his lamb. "I'm just wondering, Ash. You're in a good mood today, a great mood if the look on your face is anything to go by. So I'm curious. Did you get to see the Undertaker?"

She slowly nodded, keeping her focus on her vegetables. She didn't want to tell anyone what happened Monday night or Tuesday for that matter. She just didn't want to make a fuss over it and she didn't want anyone to know she got to spend quality time with Mark. She wanted to keep that near and dear to her heart, not spread it around like gossip. "Yes I got to see … him." She couldn't call him the Undertaker because he wasn't the Undertaker, he was Mark. Mark took her home and ate her sandwiches. Mark laughed with her and joked with her. Mark spent the night, making sure she was okay. And Mark became a friend to her. Call her selfish, but she didn't want to share that.

Eric nodded, completely unaware of Ashley's hesitation. "Is he as big in person as he is on television?" he asked.

Ashley nodded, unable to keep the grin off her face. "He's a lot bigger. He's almost unreal in how huge he is. He's larger than life." _In more ways than one_, she thought to herself.

"Do you think you'll ever attend another Raw?"

"If I ever get that chance then yes I will, most definitely." Especially after she was sure that no one was going to try and hurt her again.

"Did your dad enjoy it?"

Ashley finished with her vegetables and began to make just one of her sauces. "Dad absolutely loved it. He had a grand time. He got called away towards the end, but up til then, he was having fun."

Eric frowned as he finished his lamb and began to prepare his several different cuts of steak. "That sucks. Why did he get called away?"

Ashley sighed. "It was work related. I don't know much other than that."

The back entrance suddenly slammed open and Antonio walked in. Ashley immediately stifled a smile. All she could think about was Mark calling Antonio Tony and Antonio peeing his pants. She really needed to tell Mark about that. He called him that several times when they were talking, but she hadn't mentioned it. She needed to, very much.

"What's so funny?"

Ashley jumped as Eric's voice sounded in her ear and his breath caressed the back of her neck. She shook her head. "Nothing."

Eric trailed a single digit down her spine, tsking as he went. "Liar." He whispered in her ear before he casually walked away.

Ashley giggled as Antonio went to complaining about everything in his path. He complained about the floors that he claimed were dirty. He complained about the stainless steel counters because apparently they did not shine enough. He complained about preparation not being finished before he arrived and he of course complained about Ashley and her secret sauce. She put a smile on her face and kissed his Italian hairy butt –figuratively of course.

* * *

**Later That Night—**

"I definitely want to come see you when I get to St. Louis."

"Good. I definitely want to see you too."

"That's damn good news, baby girl."

She giggled. She couldn't help it. She was talking to Mark Calaway over the phone _and_ he called her baby girl. He was so sweet. "Whenever you are able to come visit, I'll make you something special." She promised him.

He laughed. "I would be happy to settle for those ham sandwiches."

It was her turn to laugh. "I'll make sure I have plenty of ham in the fridge, but I usually do because my dad loves those too."

"I can see why. They're delicious."

Her phone chose that moment to beep. "Speaking of… my dad is on the other line so I have to go."

"I'll call again, Darlin'. Good night."

"Good night, Mark."

She clicked over to her dad. "Hey dad, how is everything."

"Hey Sunshine. Everything is okay here. How are you? How is your head?"

"I'm fine, Daddy I promise. I go to the doctor tomorrow for a check-up, but I feel great."

She heard her dad let out a breath." That's good to hear, Sunshine. I was worried about you."

"No need, Dad. I really am fine."

He laughed. "Good. Did you fix my favorite meal for the Undertaker?"

"I fixed Mark the steak and he did quite enjoy it."

"Mark, huh?"

She rolled her eyes. "Yes Mark. He's very much a sweetheart. We spent the evening together, watching movies and such. I even fixed him goat cheese pizza."

Her dad laughed. "He's never gonna wanna let you go, Sunshine."

She snorted. "Dad, that's just crazy. He's the Undertaker. He has a life; family and friends. I'm just thankful and extremely grateful that I got to spend time with him."

"You sound awe-struck, Ashley. Should I be worried?" His voice very much sounded as if he was.

"About what, Dad? I mean I am awe-struck. I would be lying if I said I otherwise, but I know that he's busy and very important in his line of business. You have nothing to worry about, Dad. I'm not going to go all stalkerish on him."

Her dad chuckled. "You promise?"

She sighed. "Yes I promise. I'm just really happy about the time I got to spend with him. He's truly amazing, Dad and maybe one day you'll get to meet him."

"I would like that."

"Okay… Now tell me what's going on with you and your client?"

"He's being an ass. He's threatening everybody and everyone and making huge scenes in public. Ugly, violent scenes in public."

"Dad, why are you representing him? He doesn't sound like your normal clients." Her dad was a gentle and kind man. He didn't care for criminals.

"His family has been clients since we first opened our firm's doors. His grandfather was our first client and then his father and now him. He's just a lot more difficult than his father or grandfather ever was."

"So I guess dropping him as a client is completely out of the question?" She was still hopeful.

"Yes Sunshine it is."

"Just be careful, Dad."

"You know I always am."

"When are you coming home?"

"I should be home around Friday, Ash."

"I'll make you a big dinner when you get back."

"I love you to the moon and beyond, Sunshine."

"Beyond the stars and the planets, Daddy."

* * *

**Thursday April 11, 2013**

"What did your doctor say?" Mark asked her. It was extremely late and she had just been about asleep when her cell phone went off. Normally she wouldn't have answered it, but it was the Undertaker's entrance music. Mark was on the phone and she loved hearing his voice and talking to him.

"My doctor said I was in perfect health. The concussion did no lasting damage, Mark. I promise."

He let out a sigh of relief. "That's good to hear. I was worried. Any leads on who hit you over the head?"

Ashley shook her head then laughed at herself. He couldn't see her. "No they don't have a clue. One of them claims it was just a random attack."

"That's definitely bullshit, baby girl. From what I heard it was not a random attack."

She let out a sigh of sadness. "I know it wasn't. Vince told me that Kaitlyn stopped the guy from hitting me again after I was done and out. He wanted me dead. I just don't know why."

"I'm sure they'll figure it out. How was your day?"

"Harley's was actually slow tonight."

"Harley's?"

"Harley's Pub and Grill, the restaurant where I work."

"It's called Harley's Pub and Grill? But it isn't either, really. What's up with that?"

"It was a pub and a grill when Harley first opened it. It was a great place back then or at least that's what my dad tells me. But then Harley's son, Jason inherited it when Harley decided to retire. Jason was big on the fine dining scene. You know, fancy smancy dinners for a big price so he change the restaurant, but kept the name."

"Why didn't he change the name?"

"Because his father wouldn't allow him too. Harley's is a big name in down town St. Louis and it needed to remain Harley's for that reason."

"Interesting."

Ashley laughed. "Not really, but if you say so."

"I do. What did you fix for dinner this evening?"

"Antonio fixed me dinner this evening."

"He did?" Mark sounded suspicious.

"He did. He fixed a shrimp plate for me. It had grilled shrimp, fried shrimp, and this boiled shrimp thing with this sauce that is so good. So delicious."

"You like shrimp?"

"Mmmm. I love shrimp, but I'm allergic to oysters. I can eat lobster, crab legs, and any other fish I want but I can't eat oysters."

"What happens if you eat oysters?"

"My throat closes up."

"That's not good. When did you discover you were allergic to oysters?"

"It was at Harley's actually. My dad asked me if I wanted to try them. I was about sixteen I think. I tried them and the reaction was almost instant. An ambulance was called and blah blah blah. My dad then made sure that my allergy was put everywhere. Like they have oysters at high school, right?" She giggled.

Mark laughed. "You're not allergic to anything else?"

"Nope. Just oysters."

"Does Tony fix you dinner often?" She heard suspicion again.

She chuckled softly at the name. "He does it when he's sorry for being an ass. So definitely not often." Mark laughed.

* * *

**Monday April 15, 2013**

Her phone was ringing; the Undertaker entrance music. He was calling but she was so tired. She picked it up and held it to her head.

"Hello?"

"Did I wake you, Baby girl?" His voice teasing and lighthearted.

She couldn't help but giggle. "Hi Mark. Where are you?"

"I'm in South Carolina. Where are you?"

"In bed."

She felt out of it, so sleepy, so tired. She didn't feel like this earlier; before she went to work. She had been full of energy and happy. A new day, a new week. After her dinner of fettuccine alfredo with mushrooms that Antonio fixed for her; again he was sorry for being an ass, she was so tired, like her energy had been drained.

"Can I join you?" His voice was husky and he was still in a teasing mood.

She giggled again. "That depends."

"On what, Ashley?" He was definitely curious.

"On rather or not you're here. Are you here?"

"In St. Louis or at your apartment?"

She giggled. She really needed to stop that. She seemed to do it a lot lately. "What's the difference? If you're at my apartment than you're in St. Louis and if you're in St. Louis than you can be at my apartment pretty quickly. So what's really the difference?"

"That's very true, but unfortunately I'm in South Carolina."

"I know, you just told me, Silly."

Mark chuckled. "But if I was there?"

"Then you could bring me cup of hot chocolate and hand me the remote so I wouldn't have to get out of bed." Because she really didn't want to get out of bed.

"Ashley, are you okay?"

She sniffed and then a shiver ran down her spine. Cold, hot, cold, and then hot. What in the hell was wrong with her. "I'm fine. I promise. I'm just super tired and really cold."

"You running a fever?"

"No, I'm not sick. I'm just tired and very cold."

"You sure?"

"I am. Can you tell me something?"

"You know I'll tell you anything I can."

"What's up with Punk?" She really wanted to know what was up with him. He was acting strange.

Mark sighed. "That's a loaded question, Darlin'. That man is up to a lot of things. Why do you ask?"

"He seemed really weird tonight. I don't really like Punk, but tonight he seemed almost... likeable."

She heard him chuckle into the phone. "He lost to me at Wrestlemania. He's depressed and sad and now he knows he isn't the best in the world."

"Yeah that may be true. When are you going to be back on WWE?"

"Not until Monday, Darlin'."

"I'll definitely record it."

Another chuckle. "I had no doubt. How's work?"

"We're introducing a new dessert tomorrow and I'm excited while Antonio is dreading it." A new dessert was rare while new entrees were normal.

"Tony sounds like he needs his ass beat. Does he give you a lot of problems?"

"Nothing I can't handle, Mark."

She could handle a lot since Antonio had put her through the ringer. He could be a first class jerk and then he could a true sweetheart too. He was a mystery around Harley's and not a lot of the customers liked him. Ashley then realized that Mark was quiet.

"Mark, you're quiet."

"Sorry Darlin' I was just thinking."

She wondered what he was thinking about. She wondered if he was tired of calling her. She would never tire of him calling her, but she knew he was busy.

"You know you don't need to call me every night, right?"

"You don't like that I call?"

She snorted. "Stunned, shocked and in awe, Mark. I love that you call, but I just don't want you to think that I – I only want to make sure – I don't want you to stop calling, I just want to make sure that you want to call and not that you feel obligated to call." Oh she hoped he didn't feel obligated to call her.

He snorted. "I don't feel obligated to call you, Baby girl. I call you because I want to. I don't do it for you, I do it for me."

"Really?" She wanted to believe him, but what did he see in her?

"Yes really. I enjoy talking with you and I'm hoping this weekend when I come visit, you let me come visit."

"Let you? Visit? Have you lost your mind? I would love for you to come visit and you can stay in my guest room." She would love to have him to come visit.

"Are you sure you don't mind?"

"I'm definitely sure, Mark. So you're coming to St. Louis this weekend?"

"I am."

"For Raw or Smackdown?" She asked. Suddenly her stomach lurched and she didn't feel so good.

"For neither actually. I just thought I would come visit you."

She wanted to reply, to jump up and down and shout it from the roof-tops, but her stomach wasn't going to allow that. She barely made it to the bathroom before she emptied her stomach. She completely forgot that Mark was on the phone while her stomach continued to roll and she continued to heave to make it happy. She grabbed her phone and without thinking, dialed her dad. She had completely forgotten about Mark being on the phone. All she could think about was calling her dad and getting help. Her stomach felt like it was on fire. It hurt so bad, she wanted to die, simply lay down and let it take her to another place.

"Hey Sunshine."

"Dad?" She managed to speak through heaves.

"Ashley, are you okay?"

"Help."

Once again on a Monday evening, she blacked out.

* * *

**At The Hospital—  
Tuesday April 16, 2013**

When she heard it, she knew immediately what it was. She heard it often in twenty-four years of growing up. Her dad was asleep and he was snoring. She opened her eyes and sure enough, her dad was in a chair beside her bed, his head on her bed, fast asleep. She smiled at the sight. It was familiar to her and that made her feel a lot better. She wasn't dead and for now she wasn't hurting. She reached out the hand that held her IV and touched her dad, her fingers sliding through his hair.

"Dad?" She whispered softly.

He jerked awake and looked at his daughter, a smile of pure relief lighting up his face. Jumping up, he wrapped his arms around her, carefully so not to hurt her. "Oh Sunshine, I was so damn worried."

"What happened?" She only remembered puking and blacking out.

"You were out cold and puking your guts out, Sweetheart. You were shaking so hard, your blood pressure had dropped to about forty over twenty. Your whole system was shutting down. They couldn't wake you up and your heart was too slow. I thought I had lost my daughter." Tears were streaming down his cheeks and Ashley threw her arms around his neck and squeezed her father tight.

"I'm okay now, dad. I promise. Or at least I think I am. What happened to me, Dad?"

"I think I can answer that, young lady."

Ashley and her dad both looked up to see an older gentleman with a smile on his face, walk through Ashley's hospital room door. He was about medium height with sandy brown hair and dark eyes. Ashley thought he was quite handsome and the smile he was giving them reached his eyes.

"Who are you?" She asked, knowing that he was her doctor, but not knowing his name.

His smile got bigger. "I'm Doctor Jordan Forrester. I was on duty when you were brought last night."

"You're on duty now, aren't you?" She couldn't help but ask.

Dr. Forrester shook his head. "I'm actually not supposed to be, but I couldn't leave until I knew what brought you to me on a Monday night."

"And do you know what did?" She was definitely curious. And the doctor was cute.

"Have you ever heard of white snakeroot?" He asked, his dark eyes centered directly on Ashley's small heart shaped face.

She shook her head. "No."

"White snakeroot kind of looks like baby breathe –do you know what that is?"

Ashley nodded. "Yes I know baby breathe is."

"Well snakeroot is common and easy to get a hold of. It's also so potent that just drinking the milk or eating the meat of a cow that's ingested the plant can lead to severe sickness and even death. The plant contains a toxin called tremetol, which, when ingested by humans, can lead to trembling, vomiting, and serious intestinal troubles. It can also cause one's death if not treated in time."

"What are you trying to tell me?" She asked slowly. She couldn't believe what her mind was telling her. Was she really poisoned?

"Ashley, you were poisoned by a white snakeroot plant. Your body tried to reject the toxins almost immediately, and for some reason, which I'm incredibly thankful for, didn't kill you. Do you know anyone who would want to kill you?"

She shook her head. "I haven't a clue." She took a deep breath. "Is the poison now gone?"

He checked her IV and her vitals. "The poison is now completely out of your system. We've come to believe that you ingested the poison through food which can make the action of poison slow down immensely. What did you last eat?" He was staring at her so intently, Ashley felt trapped by his gaze.

"Fettuccine alfredo with mushrooms. Antonio fixed it."

"Your boyfriend?" He seemed very interested in that piece of information.

Ashley shook her head. "No, he's kind of my boss."

"Could he be the one that poisoned your food, Ashley?"

Ashley shook her head, shrugging her shoulders at the same time. She didn't know if Antonio could be the one that poisoned her food. But why would he want to. And if it wasn't him then who could have? Who could have? And why?

_Author's Note: Remember.. check the dates.._


	6. Conversations & Laughter

**THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU TO LILYWHITE25, DIXIEWINWRITES12, SONIB89, KEEPER OF OZ, FIRECRACKER, JOHNCENAFAN101, JODI, & TANYA2BYOUR21 FOR YOUR REVIEWS! SUCH WONDERFUL WORDS! **

**Disclaimer: I do not own WWE, the Undertaker, Randy Orton, or John Cena... **

This chapter's quote:

_"The highlight of my career, still, is our match at Wrestlemania XIV. Despite everything that I've done since that night, despite winning multiple championships, that match still is the highlight. It truly was the culmination of everything we'd been through up until that point, and it was one of the best rivalries WWE has ever seen, and to have it all come to a head in our first match The Show of Shows was just awesome. And, even though Undertaker defeated me, it took him three tombstones to do it, which had never happened before." -Kane_

Chapter Six  
Conversations And Laughter

**Friday April 19, 2013**

"Yo Mark!"

I turned to see Randy Orton, The Apex Predator jogging towards me, a ragged look on his face. He did have a match that evening tagging with Sheamus to go against Mark Henry and the Big Show so that explained the ragged look. Although Henry and Show won, Orton and Sheamus put up an impressive fight. And seeing how they had the last match and Smackdown was just now officially over, Orton was tired, sweaty and out of breath but not out of shape. He was a damn good wrestler.

"What's up, Orton?" I asked although I really didn't give a shit. I had a red eye flight to St. Louis and I wasn't about to miss it. For some reason, I was itching to get to St. Louis and I was sure it had something to do with a petite brown eyed chef.

"Where you going in such a hurry? You've been in a surly mood all evening. And you didn't even have any air time tonight."

I let out a breath of slight annoyance and irritation. I was the 'father' of the group and everyone came to me looking for advice, instruction, and sometimes information. Being a senior wrestler, I was usually able to get a hold of information that no one else was able to. I enjoyed being the 'father' of the group but sometimes it could be a pain in the ass. Especially on a night like tonight. But since I respected Orton and he rarely got into anyone else's business, I didn't mind answering him. However I was going to do it on the go.

I nodded towards the exit which just up ahead. "I'll explain as we walk. I'm in a hurry."

Orton nodded and together we headed towards the exit. "Do you remember the girl that got attacked on Raw the other night?" I asked.

Orton nodded again, wiping the sweat from his body with a towel. "Yeah, but I never did find out who it was. Some say she was a cute little thing."

I grinned. She was cute and little, he had that right. "She had a concussion and I got roped into taking her home and keeping an eye on her."

Orton gave a low whistle. "That sucks, Taker."

I shook my head. "It didn't at all. In fact, I had a pretty good time."

He chuckled. "A ring rat, huh? Lucky bastard." He replied.

I growled low in my throat; a warning and the only one he was going to get. He threw me a 'what the fuck' look. "She is NOT a ring rat. That isn't what I meant when I said I had a good time. She's a big wrestling fan and an even bigger Undertaker fan, but she was down to earth, not a kiss up, had a good personality, a quirky sense of humor, and she is a damn good cook."

"My apologies, I didn't mean anything by it. Is she okay now?"

I nodded. "Her concussion is gone and there was no lasting damage." We exited the building and looked around, making sure no fans or ring rats were lingering. After making sure, I turned to face Orton head on. "I was talking to her Monday night after Raw. I knew something wasn't quite right but she assured me that everything was okay."

"And it wasn't." It wasn't a question.

"Ashley was poisoned by a plant."

"Ashley?" He looked more interested than he did a second ago.

I nodded. "Her name is Ashley."

"And she's a good cook. Is she by chance a chef at Harley's?"

I nodded again, but more cautiously. "How did you know she worked at Harley's?"

Orton looked shaken. "I gave her the tickets, Mark. John and I go there all the damn time when in St. Louis. She's a fucking fantastic chef. Her food is to die for. You're telling me she was fucking poisoned?" He hissed.

I nodded. I was as mad as he was, I just had better control on it. "Sometime Monday. They put it in her food."

"And they don't know who did it?"

I shook my head. "They were sure it was Tony or Antonio as everyone else calls him –"

Orton went to shaking his head. "Antonio wouldn't do that. He has a soft spot for Ashley. He's a first class ass, but he wouldn't hurt Ashley." Orton interrupted.

I cocked my head in thought. How does he know this Tony so well? That was a definite question I would be asking later. "They thought it was him because he cooked the last thing Ashley ate, but they searched his house, his car, and the restaurant and found no trace of this plant. He also had an alibi for the night she was attacked."

"I can't believe this shit. She wouldn't a hurt a fly. Who the fuck would want to hurt her?"

I shrugged. "I don't know, but I need to get going."

"Is that where you're headed? To see Ashley? Because if you are, I'm coming too and I know John would want to go too."

I resisted the urge to roll my eyes. They barely knew her. WTF? "The flight is less than an hour away so you had better hu –"

He was already gone. I went to my rental truck, threw my bags in and climbed in. While I waited for Orton and Cena, I called the airline and told them I needed two more tickets and paid for them over the phone. I didn't want any hang ups once we got to the airport. I talked to Ashley earlier in the day and she assured me she was fine, but I wanted – no I needed to see with my own eyes that she was okay. For now I wouldn't dwell on the fact that Orton and Cena were interested in her. To me neither one of them were good enough for her. Orton was too much of a player and even though Cena was most of the time a 'good guy', he too was a player and enjoyed the ring rats just as much as Orton did. He was just nicer and sweeter about it. No, those two were definitely not good enough for my new little friend.

* * *

**Saturday Morning April 20, 2013**

"I just can't believe this bullshit. First attacked in what could have been in front of thousands of people and then poisoned in her own restaurant. What the hell is wrong with people and who in the hell would want to hurt Ashley? She's a little bitty thing. And she's a damn good cook!" John Cena exclaimed from the back seat as we drove towards Ashley's condo.

Next to me, Orton nodded. "It just doesn't make sense."

"How do you two know her again?" I asked.

"We discovered Harley's a couple of years ago and the food was good and the staff was polite and courteous so we continued to go. After about two years, the taste of the food changed dramatically. It was really damn good. Even better than before. Hell, it didn't come anywhere near the previous food we had had." Orton replied first.

"We asked around, and learnt that Harley retired and gave his son, Jason the restaurant and then Jason decided to hire a new chef to work alongside the previous one which is Antonio. The new little chef named Ashley was fresh out of culinary school and very talented. A lot of the waitresses and even the hostess stated she was really shy so we didn't know how to approach her." Cena went on.

"Then one night we heard the hostess talking with what we assumed was the new chef and we then learned that Ashley was a major WWE fan so we decided the next time we were in St. Louis we would actually meet her and offer her the tickets." Orton went on to further explain.

"Does Ashley know about any of this?" I asked.

"She doesn't know we over heard her conversation. We wanted to surprise her. She's a damn good cook." Cena answered.

I found it hard to believe that two WWE superstars wanted to surprise a girl they've never met before with free tickets to RAW just because she was a good cook. It just didn't make any sense really. Don't get me wrong, Orton and Cena were both great guys, but free tickets to a good cook. Didn't make sense. But for now I would have to go with that because we were now at Ashley's condo and I didn't give a shit anymore about this conversation. I told them to shush up before hitting speed dial. It was late (or too early depending on how you looked at it) I knew that, but I was hoping Ashley wouldn't mind being woke up by three worried wrestlers.

"'Lo." Her voice was drowsy; I could even describe it as sexy. But I wouldn't.

Fuck! She had been asleep. Too late to back out now. "Hey Darlin', I'm sorry I woke you."

"Mark?" She asked, speaking a little louder.

"Yeah it's me. How're you feeling?"

"Mmmm, I'm okay. I was just sleeping. How are you?"

I gave a slight chuckle. "I'm doing good. I hate to bother you, baby girl but would you feel up to a little company?" I knew it sounded cheesy and maybe slightly pathetic, but I really didn't give a damn.

"Are you here? In St. Louis?" She sounded eager as fuck and it made me smile; inside.

"I'm outside in my rental truck."

She squealed loud enough that it made Cena and Orton laugh. "I'll let the door man know and I'll come down the lobby to greet you." She replied and I was hoping that meant she was very happy to see me.

"That's great, Darlin' but I'm not alone." I told her.

"Oh?" She sounded very interested in that tidbit of information.

"I've got Cena and Orton with me. They wanted to see you."

She squealed again. "I'll be right down." She called out before I heard a dial tone. That little thing hung up on me, she was excited about seeing… well I was hoping she was excited about seeing me, but I was sure Orton and Cena helped with the excitement build up.

I stuck my cell phone in my pocket and opened the door. "She's going to meet us in the lobby. Let's go."

"Why is she going to meet us in the lobby?" Orton asked as we all climbed out of the truck.

"Her condo is security tight. You can't even open the elevator doors without a key to said elevator. And you have to have a key to get to her floor."

"That's good. That will help keep her safe." Orton replied.

Cena nodded as we entered the lobby of the building. "Yeah that's true because it seems the length they'll go to get to her is far and beyond."

Orton and I both nodded in agreement. In a crowded arena and a crowded restaurant. Oh yes this guy was willing to go to any length to get to Ashley and kill her, but who the fuck is he?

"Can I help you, Gentlemen?" A snide voice asked.

I looked up to see a different security guy. The one that had been there before was an elderly, kind man. The one standing before me was younger and if the look on his face was anything to go by, he was a major ass. Orton and Cena were glaring at him, having heard the sarcastic, hateful tone to his voice.

"We're here to –"

"Mark!"

All three of us turned at the sound of Ashley's excited voice. She was coming out of the elevator with a smile on her face. She was dressed in a pair of dark gray sweat pants and a very baggy t-shirt with Garfield on the front of it holding a cup of coffee and looking like he was dragged out of bed. Her hair was falling around her shoulders in a messy tumble and she was barefoot. She looked down right adorable and by the look on Cena's and Orton's faces, they readily agreed.

I smiled at her. "Ashley, I'm sorry we pulled you out of bed this early in the morning." It was early too, around three to be exact.

She shook her head, wrapping her arms around my neck and giving me a hug. "I don't care. I'm just really happy to see you." I held her to me, watching Orton and Cena snicker at me over her small form. I ignored them and just held her to me. I needed to know she was okay and her warm body next to mine was exactly what I needed. I just didn't know it until this very moment.

"I had to make sure you were okay, baby girl." I replied releasing her from my strong hold. I heard more snickers and I sent a death glare at the two snickering. It immediately ceased.

She giggled. "Of course I'm okay, Mark. And now I'm really okay because you're here and you brought Randy and John."

That made the men in question smile and I shook my head. We walked together towards the elevator, speaking in hushed tones when I heard the security guy behind us mutter something under his breath. I didn't hear him, but by the stiffening of Orton's body, I knew he did. He stopped in mid-walk and turned around and walked back to the security guard. I continued to usher Ashley forward towards the elevator as she continued to talk about everything under the sun. John kept her busy talking to keep her from noticing Orton's disappearance. By the time we stepped onto the elevator, Orton was back beside us with a smile on his face, but I could see the anger in his eyes and the rage in the stance of his body. He was not happy with the security guard and I made a mental note to ask him about it later.

Ashley was still happily chatting with the three of us as we stepped into her home and followed her to the kitchen. She started pulling things out of the fridge and the cabinets, right and left and I thought I had better intervened before she went too far.

"Ashley, what are you doing?" I asked, watching Cena and Orton take seats at the round kitchen table.

"I'm going to fix a big breakfast for you three." She replied as she continued to pull all kinds of things out of little hidey holes in every which corner.

"We didn't come here so you could cook for us. We came here to check on you." I halted her movements as she started to crack eggs.

She smiled up at me, placing a small hand on my cheek. "I like to cook and I want to cook for you three. Please let me. I promise I'm fine."

I let out a sigh and nodded, kissing her forehead before I joined Orton and Cena. Forty minutes later, we all had fresh cups of coffee and the smells of bacon, sausage and homemade biscuits filled the air. Ashley was at the stove, fixing our omelets but she turned so she could talk with us.

"Smackdown was awesome last night. You had a great match with Sheamus, Randy."

Orton flashed her a smile. "I know we kicked ass. Losing is just a part of it."

Cena nodded. "Totally sucks though."

"Totally." Ashley agreed.

We laughed at the valley girl way she said it. She was so damn adorable.

"I still don't like the Shield. I wish they would crawl back in whatever hole they crawled out of it."

"They can't do that." Cena stated, serious as hell.

Ashley frowned. "Why not?"

"Because as soon those three crawled out of that hole, it closed the hell up so they couldn't come back. Hell doesn't want them back."

Ashley laughed so hard I thought she was going to start crying. "You are too funny, John."

"I know." He replied, making her laugh again.

She placed a huge omelet on each of our plates before putting a smaller version on her own. She then brought three plates piled high with bacon, sausage, and biscuits to the table. After grabbing butter, jelly, and salsa, she kissed each of us on the top of our heads and excused herself. I waited for a few seconds to make sure she wasn't coming back.

"What the hell did that security guard say?" I whispered so Ashley couldn't and wouldn't hear me.

Orton's body clenched in anger at the reminder. "He pretty much called her a whore for sleeping with the three of us at the same time then made a comment about getting into her pants himself."

I growled. I didn't like that at all. I started to get up before Cena placed a hand on my arm. I glared at him. "Remove your hand or lose it." I hissed.

Cena shook his head. "Why? What are you planning on doing?"

"Kicking the fucker's ass. He can't get away with saying some stupid shit as that about Ashley."

"I know he can't and I warned him." Orton stated.

I heard Ashley so I sat back down. "How did you warn him?" Whatever it was, I knew it probably wasn't good enough.

"I told him if he so much as spoke a word to Ashley then we would know and then we would personally shove his head up his ass and he would feel every inch of that big ass head of his."

I huffed out a breath as Ashley walked back into the kitchen, looking completely different than when she left. She pulled her hair back into a high ponytail and she was now wearing a pair of white jean shorts and a yellow tank top. She was still barefoot. She looked delectable or maybe completely edible. She sat down between Orton and myself and dug in.

"Eat up, guys." She told us and we instantly obeyed. We talked about wrestling for a while before Orton changed the subject, very abruptly.

"Who the hell is trying to kill you, Sweetheart?"

We all stopped eating to look at Orton. Ashley didn't know what to say at first, but she was clearly shocked by the question. I guess she was in denial because someone was surely trying to kill her. She finally shrugged, taking a very slow bite of her omelet.

"I don't know, Randy. I really wish I did." She sounded desperate.

I think we all sighed simultaneously. "Explain to us what happened on Monday." It was kind of an order so I added softly. "Please."

She laid down her fork. "You mean like explain my entire day?" We all nodded in agreement. "I got up that morning, took a shower, got ready for work, ate breakfast –"

I interrupted. "What did you eat?"

She chewed on her lower lip, her eyes flashing with remembrance. "I fixed a bowl of oatmeal with a slice of toast. I also grabbed a yogurt."

"Homemade oatmeal? Out of a packet? Butter? Jelly? Did you add anything to the oatmeal?"

Ashley gave me a confused look. She hadn't a clue where I was going with this. Thankfully Cena interrupted.

"We're trying to see if anyone was able to put anything in your food."

She shook her head. "That's not possible. My condo is completely secured and only I and the security guards can get in."

That's what I was afraid of. I didn't mind the other older security guard, but the younger one down there right now was a jackass and I didn't trust him. But I didn't say any of that, I just nodded and motioned for her to continue. She stuck her tongue out and I gave her a grin.

Rolling her eyes, she continued. "After breakfast, I cleaned up and then left for Harley's. Eric, Antonio and I prepped until Megan came in and she helped. By the time we finished, we were opening and after that it's always a blur because we are always busy."

"And nothing out of the ordinary happened?" I asked.

She shook her head. "It was a normal boring busy evening."

"Was Antonio acting different or maybe Eric?"

She shook her head again. "It wasn't Antonio, Mark and it most certainly wasn't Eric." She insisted.

"Are you sure it wasn't them?" I wasn't going to give up easily.

Ashley nodded, giving me an 'I'm not dumb' look. I didn't think she was dumb, but I wanted her safe. "I'm sure, the police are sure. Everyone at the restaurant allowed the police to search their homes and cars. They had a search warrant for Antonio because he actually fixed the food, but he told them he would have given them permission because he would never hurt me."

"How is everyone at Harley's taking this?" Cena asked.

It was a good question.

"Harley and Jason are extremely pissed that someone tried to kill me under their noses in their restaurant. Eric and Antonio are upset as well. All week they've been watching over me to the point it's driving me crazy. The other cooks and my assistants, the waitresses, the waiters, and the hostesses are all upset and they can't believe something like this happen."

"How many people work at Harley's?" Orton was curious about something.

Ashley tapped a finger to her chin. "About twenty or so, give or take a few. I'm not sure. Why?"

"This happened Monday night, right?"

She nodded.

"They searched twenty different homes and cars and a restaurant in a matter of days." Orton was now skeptical but then I was a little too.

Ashley blushed which was not a reaction I was expecting. "My dad is a lawyer and a close friend to pretty much everyone on the police force. I hate to admit that I got special treatment just for that."

I cupped her face with the palm of my hand. "We're glad that you got special treatment. It made suspect elimination quicker than usual which is a damn good thing. Don't be ashamed of that."

She grabbed the hand that was cupping her cheek and kissed my palm. "Thanks Mark."

I kissed her forehead before sitting back and returning to my … well my empty plate. I looked around and noticed all of our plates were empty. All the food was delicious and it was now gone. Every last morsel had disappeared from the table. Hell, I didn't even remember eating, but I did remember that it was freaking delicious. How odd.

"Orton, Cena, let's clean up this mess while Ashley goes into the living room to relax." I commanded, standing up and began to grab plates.

Ashley stood too as did Cena and Orton. "I can't let you do that." She replied, grabbing a plate. I took the plate from her and pointed to the living room.

"Go. Now."

She rolled her eyes, kissed my cheek, and went into the living room. With the three of us working together, the kitchen was spotless in no time.

"Hey?" Ashley called from the living room.

"What?" We all answered.

She laughed. "Would you all want to play yahtzee?"

"What is that?" Cena asked.

"Ever played poker?"

We chuckled at that. "Of course." I replied.

"It's kind of like that, but with dice."

"Bring it on."

* * *

**Hours Later—**

"Damn you're good at this." Orton complained, handing the cup over to Ashley.

She shook the dice filled cup and laughed. "I love to play so I play it a lot. But it's mostly a game of luck, Randy."

"A game of my luck my ass. Sweetheart, you're cheating."

When she rolled a full house on the first roll, Orton groaned. "Cheating, I tell ya."

Ashley shook her head, marking her score on her note pad. "I am not cheating. It's just luck."

"Cheater." He teased her with a slight grin.

"Am not."

"Are too."

"Not."

"Too."

"Not."

"Too."

Ashley glared. "Not. Not. Not. Infinity. So there." She stuck her tongue out and Orton feigned shock. He suddenly grabbed her off the chair and began to tickle her incessantly. Her giggles filled the condo as she kicked and screamed in Orton's arms, begging for mercy. Orton was having none of it.

"Grab her feet, John. Tickle those little feet until she gives in to our demands." He gave an evil pretend laugh and went back to tickling her again. Cena grabbed her feet and started tickling her there too. Ashley was laughing so hard, she was having trouble catching her breath.

"Mark! Help!"

Laughing, I shook my head. "Did you cheat?" I asked.

She shook her head as laughter poured out of her and she trembled from it. "I did not cheat! You all are just sore losers." She cried out.

We all pretended to be enraged at her words and we all dove back in to tickle her until she begged for mercy and our forgiveness. She was laughing so hard tears were streaming down her face, but we wouldn't give up. We were laughing so hard our large bodies were shaking and our faces were red. We wouldn't have stopped if her doorbell hadn't rang.

"That's my dad." She squealed through peals of laughter.

We all ceased the tickling. "Are you sure?" I asked.

She nodded. "He's the only one with a key to the elevator. He just doesn't have a foyer key. He didn't want to invade on privacy too much. His words, not mine."

Orton let her go and she got up, heading for the front door. I followed closely behind her. I just wanted to make sure. For her safety. She opened her front and for some reason I felt like I had been punched in the stomach. I didn't care about our ages. After all, Ashley and I were only friends and that's the way I liked it. But suddenly our ages made a huge difference to me and I could only blame it on the man in front of me.

For her dad was younger than me.


	7. Pride & Prejudice

**THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU TO FIRECRACKER, KEEPER OF OZ, KAIRI-TENSHII-X, GUEST, RANDOM REVIEWER, & JODIOK FOR YOUR REVIEWS! THANK YOU FOR THE CONTINUED AUTHOR AND STORY ALERTS AND ADDING ME TO YOUR FAVORITE LISTS. YOU GIRLS(AND GUYS) ARE COMPLETELY AWESOME!**

Author's Note: I heard that Mark had to have surgery on his shoulder and his hip.. I hope it's not true, but if it is.. what are the chances while bedridden, he reads fanfiction.. HA! I wish! Get well soon, Mark! We love you.. (Just in case he is reading)...

This chapter's quote...

_"I don't think there's any more of a intimidating presence in the WWE than Undertaker. From the very first time I got here right up to now, there's never been a time that I've stood in that ring and watched his entrance and not gotten goosebumps. It's just totally awe-inspiring. There's a big-fight feel to it, no matter what. And, when you've talked about respect for 'Taker, he's earned every bit of that respect. He's the guy everyone looks to, because he's a leader. From in-ring to backstage, he's always had that way about him. We use to call him, 'Cool Hand Luke', because nothing ever bothered him. He's what I aspire to be in this business. There's nobody more dedicated. He's one of the few guys who has transcended the business. He became a household name just by doing what he does every single night in the ring. And, speaking of which, being in the ring with him is kind of an odd combination. On the one hand, he's this guy you have to look up to in order to look in the eye. He's a big human being, 300 pounds or so. But on the other hand, he moves like Shawn Michaels. He's agile, he's got mobility, his hands are quick. There aren't a lot of big of big guys who have quickness like that. It can be daunting, because you're dealing with a guy who can do anything at any time." -Triple H _

Chapter Seven  
Pride & Prejudice

**Tuesday April 16, 2013**

The phone rang just as she stepped into the shower.

She hadn't been home long. Maybe an hour and it took all that time to get her father to understand that she was okay. She was no longer in any danger, but he was her father and he worried about her. He finally left and all she wanted to do was take a nice hot shower and then a very long nap. She was tired; physically, emotionally, and mentally tired. As soon as her daddy left and the door was locked behind him, she immediately stripped and headed for the shower.

Only then did her phone ring. Maybe that had something to do with the fact that she just turned it on but it was dead and now it was charging. And of course it would ring. She saw all the missed calls. Antonio, Eric, Megan, Elle, Felicity, Harley, Jason, Mark, and several others had called. Mark was the only one that didn't leave a message. She found that slightly odd, but she didn't let it worry her. She had been talking on the phone with Mark when she got sick, she knew he was worried. There was no reason to leave a message.

Antonio's message was the only one that was different from the others. They all wanted to make sure she was okay; to check up on her. They all said they would look out for her and that they were there for her if she needed them. Antonio's message was different in one aspect. He was upset. Not at her, but he was upset. He was upset that someone tried to kill her using the food that he cooked her. He was pissed the fuck off that someone tried to kill her. His exact words, she could quote him on it. He wasn't mad at her at all. He wanted her to know that he didn't blame her and he understood why she suspected him. He wanted her to know that he wouldn't hold any grudges at all and he hoped the police found the guy that did try to kill her. She had a feeling that Antonio wasn't behind poisoning her, but she was still a little wary. Being almost killed twice will do that to a person.

So after checking her messages and plugging in her phone, all naked, she jumped into the shower only to have her phone rang once again. She should have ignored it, but it was the Undertaker theme song and she couldn't ignore Mark. So she stepped out of the shower and ran naked into her bedroom.

"Hello?"

"You sound out of breath?"

She smiled. "That's because I was taking a shower when my phone rang." She replied to the worried voice.

What sounded like a groan came through the phone. "Are you finished with your shower, baby girl?"

She was sure he sounded like he was in pain. "No, I just got in when you called."

Another groan. "I'll call you back once you finish your shower." And with that a click sounded in her ear. She stared at her phone in confusion. What in the hell was that about? He could be so weird at times. Shaking her head, she put her phone down and headed back into her bathroom.

* * *

**Wednesday April 17, 2013**

She got there early, but not as early as usual. The doctor, Jordan Forrester, had told her to take it easy for the next couple of days, but she couldn't stay away from Harley's. It was her home away from home and although she was slightly fearful that she may not get a warm welcome, she just couldn't not go to work. She noticed immediately that Eric, Antonio, Megan, and Rainie were already here and probably busy prepping. Well she was now here to help. If they let her.

As soon as she went through the kitchen entrance she was enveloped in a pair of strong warm arms. She knew the scent instantly.

"Eric." She murmured against his chest.

He squeezed her tighter, cupping the back of her neck to hold her to him. "Thank fucking God you're okay. We would be lost without you. _I_ would be lost without you. I can't believe this shit. What stupid bastard – Just so glad that you're okay." Holding her upper arms, he pulled back to look into her eyes. "You are okay? Right? Should you be here today?"

She gave him a reassuring smile. "I'm fine. The doctor assured me that I was fine. I want to be here. Is that okay?"

Eric hugged her again. "Damn right it's okay. We're glad you're here. This place also needs you."

"I want a hug, Eric and you're hogging her."

Eric kissed her forehead and released her. She was then pulled into another hug, this one from Megan. Megan was a happy bubbly woman with blond cork screw curls and violet eyes. She was also tall at almost six foot in height. Megan was flighty in the relationship area, but when it came to her job, she was a sure thing. She never missed a day if she could help it. Ashley and Megan always got along since they had one similar trait in common; their job (career) always came first. Megan took pride in her work every single day when she cooked her fish; her favorite station.

"Oh Ashley, we were soooo worried about you." She replied squeezing Ashley tight. "When the police showed up yesterday we were all just super shocked. We just couldn't believe that someone really tried to kill you." She said after pulling away.

Rainie was next in line for a hug. Ashley noticed Antonio standing off in the distance, keeping to his personal space and staying away from hers. He acted like he wanted to approach them, but was too shy to do so. That wasn't normally like him so Ashley just assumed that he wasn't sure how his presence would be received. She gave him a small smile as Rainie gave her a hug. Rainie was a brunette with the straightest hair Ashley had ever seen. In always hung like a curtain down her back, nearly falling to her waist. Her eyes were the color of the sky on a rainy day; suiting her name perfectly. At five foot five, she only stood a few inches taller than Ashley. Like the rest of them, she took her job as one of the Chef's assistants very seriously. Unlike Megan, she was successful in her relationships. Well one at least. She was happily married to her high school sweetheart and together they had two beautiful little girls. She was the mother of the group and she took pride in that.

Once Rainie let her go, she motioned for Antonio to come closer. "Come here, Antonio."

When Antonio reached her side, she pulled him into a hug. He stood there immobile for about ten seconds for wrapping his arms around Ashley and giving her the biggest hug she had ever received. "I would never hurt you, Ashley. I know I'm an ass, but I couldn't bear to see you hurt." He said into her ear.

She nodded. "I know Antonio. I'm sorry I told the police –"

He cut her off. "I'm glad you did, but they didn't need a search warrant for my place or my car for that matter. I would have given them anything they wanted as long as they understood that I would never hurt you."

Ashley pulled back to look into his black eyes which right now were filled with unshed tears. She wished she had a camera; inappropriate she knew, but she had never seen Antonio like this and she doubted she ever would again. He was not the emotional type. He was a moody, brooding Italian and he took pride in that. Antonio was one of those types that everyone was afraid of; that no one wanted to be around except for his closest family and friends. He was not the social type. He was that one person that every employer wanted on their team. He worked his ass off in the kitchen. He just believed that he was so damn good that he needed plenty of vacation days and lots of days off and sick days too. And he complained about everything else while he did work. So while most employers wanted him on their team, the employees wanted him gone. She however didn't mind his complaining or his many days off. She could easily tune him out because she knew that was how he was. As for his many days off, well she got to be in charge those days so why should she mind.

"I'm glad you're not mad at me." She spoke sincerely.

He actually gave her a small smile. "I'm mad at the asshole who thought he would be clever enough to poison you using my food. But I could never be mad at you. You had every right to suspect me. I would have done the same, Ashley. I would have thought it was me too."

She smiled at Antonio and gave him another hug. She was thankful that her friends from work were on her side. She would have hated to give up working at Harley's. This place was literally almost her whole life. But as some of the most important people at Harley's gathered around her, she knew everything was going to be okay because she had these guys on her side.

"We gave the police access to all of our homes." Megan suddenly announced.

Ashley turned to look at her. "You guys did? All of you?"

Eric nodded. "We did. Even Harley and Jason did. Felicity and the rest of hostesses and Elle and the rest of the waitresses did too. We told them that we had nothing to hide and that we would never hurt you. The police searched our houses yesterday and this morning."

Ashley looked at each one of them one by one; Eric, Antonio, Megan, and Rainie. "You guys are simply amazing. I can't believe you would do that for me."

Eric pulled her against him, wrapping his arms around her for a hug. "We would do anything for you, Ashley. Anything. No matter what the cost."

Ashley couldn't stop the shiver that crawled up her spine at Eric's words.

* * *

**Thursday April 18, 2013**

"How was work today, baby girl?" Mark asked her. His voice coming in soft and sweet over the phone. She could listen to him talk all day, but sadly he would rather listen to her talk.

She stifled a yawn and stirred her sauce. "It was uneventful for the most part."

"For the most part?"

With one hand she poured the sauce over the ham. Her dad was coming over this weekend and she knew he loved her ham sandwiches. Mark did too so it didn't hurt having them on hand. She loved cooking for her men. She giggled softly. Her men! Well, Mark was her friend and she considered her dad one of her best friends so definitely her men.

"What's up with the giggle? And what did you mean by for the most part?"

"I was just thinking. And work was fine today. They continued to follow me around everywhere I went."

Mark chuckled. "That just drives you crazy, doesn't it?"

Ashley sighed as she popped the ham in the oven. "I can't help it, but it does. I know they're doing it to keep me safe, but what if something happens to them while they're trying to keep me safe?"

Since Eric's creepy words, they all had done exactly that. They were keeping her safe by following her around everywhere she went. If she went to the bathroom, Megan, Rainie, Felicity or one of the other girls followed her. If she took trash to the dumpster or just needed a breath of fresh air, Eric, Antonio, Harley or Jason followed her outside. They even kept close tabs on both of the kitchen entrances and the food. Her friends were really coming through for her and it was driving her crazy. She didn't want anything happening to any of them.

"I don't think you have to worry about it, Ash."

"And why is that?"

"I don't think this guy is going to try anything at Harley's. At least not again, he won't."

"What makes you think that?" She asked, grabbing a spoon and a yogurt from the fridge and taking a seat at the kitchen table.

"This guy has already tried to kill you twice and failed both times. He did so in brightly lit and well busy places so he wouldn't stand out. Seeing as how he failed horribly and thank God he did, people are now looking for him. They might not know what he looks like or anything, but they know to keep an eye on you. If he's trying to get to you then it's only a matter of time before that right person sees him and knows what he's up to. Plus since he's tried at your restaurant where everyone loves you, he would be stupid to try it again. I don't honestly think this guy is stupid. A complete fucking moron for trying to kill you, yes but stupid, no."

"Thanks Mark. That makes me feel a lot better."

"Really?" He sounded skeptical.

Ashley laughed. "Yes I promise."

"Good." He paused for half a second. "Did you have any wrestling visitors today?" He was teasing and it made Ashley giggle.

"No. We didn't have any visitors that just had to speak to the Chef. But then again, Antonio was cooking this evening."

Mark laughed; a full on belly laugh. Ashley grimaced. "That sounded bad, didn't it?" She asked.

"Maybe a little, but it's completely true, Darlin' so don't feel bad. He doesn't have the talent that you have." Mark replied once he finished laughing.

She sighed. "I still shouldn't have said that. After all he's done for me this week." She was quickly becoming distraught.

"Ashley, calm down. It was only a joke and Tony doesn't know you said it and I'm not telling him so it's really okay."

She was silent for so long that Mark changed the subject. "Did you talk to the police today?"

"Yea I did."

"What did they say?"

"The same thing as yesterday. They don't have any leads so far. And every house, car, and place of business –Harley's– has come up completely empty. So everyone I work with is no longer a suspect. My dad is not a suspect any more either."

"They really suspected your dad of killing you?" Mark asked in disbelief.

She finished her yogurt and threw away the cup. "They did especially when I told them that he left early that night at RAW. They were sure it was him. I told them there wasn't any way possible that my father would hurt me in any fashion. They apologized yesterday for accusing him, but they said they had a valid reason for doing so."

"They didn't though, did they?"

Ashley snorted. "Heck no they didn't. My daddy loves me and he would never hurt me."

"I hope I meet him one day, baby girl."

Ashley smiled. "Me too."

* * *

**Saturday Morning April 20, 2013**

Ashley woke up early Saturday morning by the ringing of a telephone; her cell phone was going off in the only tone she used for Mark. She fumbled for her phone on the night stand and hit talk.

"'Lo."

"Hey Darlin'. I'm sorry I woke you."

"Mark?" She was sure it was him, but he sounded a little different.

"Yeah it's me. How're you feeling?" Mark's southern twang came through the phone, making Ashley smile in the wee morning hours. Now she knew why he sounded so different. His southern-ness was more pronounced.

"Mmmm, I'm okay. I was just sleeping. How are you?" She asked.

He chuckled softly. "I'm doing good. I hate to bother you, baby girl but would you feel up to a little company?"

Suddenly, Ashley was wide awake and full of energy. Seeing Mark would do that to her. She loved seeing Mark. "Are you here? In St. Louis?" She knew she sounded eager, but she really didn't care.

"I'm outside in my rental truck."

Before she could stop it, she squealed. "I'll let the door man know and I'll come down to the lobby to greet you." She told him, already on her feet. Where were her shoes?

"That's great, Darlin' but I'm not alone."

Wait. What? She wondered who was with him.

"Oh?"

"I've got Cena and Orton with me. They wanted to see you."

She definitely couldn't stop the second squeal. She couldn't believe John Cena and Randy Orton wanted to see her again. She was practically bursting with excitement. "I'll be right down." She called out before hanging up. In her excitement she forgot about saying good bye. And she completely forgot about calling the security guard. She gave up on her search for her shoes and headed downstairs with her key. Who needed shoes? She had three friends coming up to see her.

* * *

**Hours Later**

After fixing them a huge breakfast, she asked them if they had ever played Yahtzee. They hadn't, but after an hour and several rounds later, they were old pros. They just weren't happy pros. Especially since she had won every game but one and Mark had won that one by pure luck. She couldn't help but laugh at Randy because he was such a sore loser, but he looked cute doing it. They continued to make her laugh throughout the afternoon. She was beginning to think they just couldn't help it. Everything they said or did made her laugh.

They were on the eleventh game and she was winning again. Randy was having a fit.

"Damn you're good at this." Orton whined, handing the cup with dice over to Ashley.

She laughed, shaking the cup. "I love to play so I play it a lot. But really it's mostly a game of luck, Randy." She told him, hoping to raise his hopes.

"A game of my luck my ass. Sweetheart, you're cheating." His easy smile and the mischief glint in his eye kept her from getting too worried over his accusation.

She shook her head and rolled. When she rolled a full house on the very first roll, Randy groaned beside her. "Cheating, I tell ya."

She shook her head again as she marked her score. "I am not cheating. It's just luck."

"Cheater." He teased with a slight grin.

"Am not."

"Are too."

"Not."

"Too."

"Not."

"Too."

Ashley glared at him. "Not. Not. Not. Infinity. So there." She stuck her tongue out and Randy feigned shock. Before Ashley could contemplate his actions, he grabbed her off her chair and began to tickle her incessantly. Her giggles filled the condo as she kicked and screamed in Randy's arms, begging him for mercy.

"Grab her feet, John. Tickle those little feet until she gives in to our demands." He let out an evil laugh that Ashley knew was fake and went back to tickling her again. John grabbed her feet and started tickling her there too. Ashley was laughing so hard, she was having trouble catching her breath and she thought she was going pee her pants

She looked over at Mark. "Mark! Help!"

He laughed, shaking his head. "Did you cheat?" He asked, his eyes zeroing in on her.

She shook her head as laughter poured out of her. "I did not cheat. You all are just sore losers." She cried out.

They all looked enraged at her words and Ashley couldn't help but feel good inside. She was having so much fun and this all because of these three great guys. How did she get so lucky in becoming friends with these three? Stunned, shocked, and in awe, she thought as they all dove back in to tickle her. They told her to beg for mercy and their forgiveness, but she shook her head in refusal. She was laughing so hard tears were streaming down her face, but she wouldn't give in.

When her doorbell rang, she almost felt a pang of sadness that this easy going atmosphere was about to end. Then she remembered it was her dad.

"That's my dad." She squealed through peals of laughter. She had forgotten he was coming over this weekend.

Their fingers immediately stopped. "Are you sure?" Mark asked.

She nodded eagerly. "He's the only one with a key to the elevator. He just doesn't have a foyer key. He didn't want to invade on my privacy too much. His words, not mine." She smiled at the memory.

Randy let her go and she immediately got up, heading for the front door; a bounce to her step. She heard footsteps behind her and she looked over her shoulder. Mark was following her to the door. She opened the door and immediately felt Mark tense beside her. She didn't understand it so she ignored it; for now. She greeted her dad and gave him a huge hug.

"Hey Dad. I can't believe I forgot you were coming over." She told once pulling back.

He looked over her shoulder (which was easy to do) and grinned. "I can see why you did. You wanna introduce me to your friends, Sunshine."

Once he was in the condo and the door was firmly shut behind him, did Ashley speak. "Dad, this is Mark Calaway, Randy Orton, and John Cena. Guys this is my dad, Ben."

As they all shook hands and greeted each other, Ashley noticed that Mark was the only one that looked as though he was forcing the smile on his handsome face. She didn't understand why he was so tense and she made a mental note to ask him about it later. Her dad was laid back and a very easy going person. As long as she was happy, he wouldn't interfere or disapprove (to a point). Her dad was all smiles as he met his favorite wrestler and two more wrestlers that he cheered on frequently. They found their way into the kitchen and took seats at the round table. Ashley smiled as she listened to them chatter about men stuff. She fixed each of them a glass of sweet ice tea and then fixed a heaping platter of ham sandwiches. She removed the Yahtzee game from the middle of the table and returned with paper plates and their ice teas. She then returned with the platter of sandwiches. Her dad and Mark made a growling sound and grabbed two sandwiches each.

Randy and John looked at the other two men like they had lost their minds. Mark nodded towards the sandwiches. "These are delicious. Trust me. Once you've had these you won't want another ham sandwich."

They still looked skeptical, but as Ashley grabbed her tea and took a seat next to her dad they were groaning and moaning in their seats. All over a sandwich. She rolled her eyes and grabbed a sandwich for herself.

"Damn, these are great." John muffled around a mouthful of ham.

Ashley grinned, taking a bite. "Thanks." She replied in earnest.

Randy groaned, grabbing another sandwich. "You made these?"

Ashley chuckled. "I did. I cooked the ham Thursday after I got home from work. So really it was almost Friday morning."

He moaned his approval and grabbed a third sandwich, placing it on his plate. Ashley shook her head as she ate her sandwich. She would never be able to finish it; she was never able to finish a whole one. She always made the things with her dad in mind and he had a big appetite. It still amazed her however when ever he was able to eat three or four of them. And from the looks of things it was a good thing she made plenty of ham and sandwiches because the four big men in front of her were devouring the platter of sandwiches. Her dad stole her unfinished sandwich off her plate and she laughed. Once the food was gone, they all leaned back in the chairs; feet crossed at the ankles and arms crossed across their massive chests and looks of satisfaction on their faces. Her dad was the smallest of the four and the first to speak.

"I saw that you all were playing Yahtzee earlier."

Randy snorted. "Your daughter was cheating." He accused, serious as a heart attack.

Her dad looked at him, his eyes narrowing. Ashley wasn't sure how her dad was going to take that, but she had a feeling she knew how and when he busted out laughing she knew she was right.

"She was beating your ass, huh?" he teased.

Randy's lips twitched in a hint of a smile. "I'll be damned. She was cheating."

Her dad nodded. "You're get over it, Randy. Or die trying to beat her lucky little ass."

Mark laughed. "Randy's a sore loser alright, but are you sure she isn't cheating?" He teased, throwing a small grin in Ashley's direction.

Ashley gasped with an air of teasing and Mark winked at her. Her heart immediately went to throat and she looked away. She had never felt that way before with the butterflies in her tummy and her heart beating as it felt it was her throat. He looked quite delectable when he winked. She hoped he never did it again.

"Was it is that you do, Ben?" John asked.

"I'm a defense attorney."

"And a darn good one too." Ashley chimed in.

John smiled at her before returning his attention back to her father. "Do you enjoy it?"

Ben nodded. "I do enjoy it however there are times like right now when I wish I could retire early."

"Why is that?" Randy asked.

"I'm a lawyer for those types of people that have plenty of money in their pockets and not a thought in their heads but making more money. The firm I work for usually picks pretty decent and hardworking people, but every now and then, like now, we get one of those clients we wish we didn't have."

Randy nodded in understanding and began to open his mouth.

"Is that what called you to Vegas?" Mark asked, interrupting Randy before he could speak.

Ben nodded once again. "It is. I hated being called away, but your boss says go you must go."

Randy chuckled. "No shit."

Mark threw a look at Randy before turning his attention back to Ben. "If you don't mind me saying so, but you don't look old enough for a daughter in her twenties."

Ashley smiled as she noticed that her dad seem to thrust his chest out in pride. "I'm forty-one. I got Ashley's mom pregnant when I was just barely seventeen."

John's eyes flickered to Ashley before settling back to Ben. "What happened to her mom?"

Ben sighed. "She signed away all her rights before Ash was born."

Mark reached out and caressed Ashley's cheek with the tip of his finger. "I'm sorry to hear that, but it's her loss not yours." He replied, removing his finger and focusing his attention back to Ben.

"So you raised her alone and became a lawyer all at the same time." Mark took notice.

Ben nodded. "I did. I had some help from my grandmother, Ashley's Gran, but other than that I was by myself."

"Ashley said you were one of the top lawyers in your firm."

"And he graduated with top honors." Ashley chimed in again.

Mark held his hand up in a fist, nodding towards his fist. Ben bumped his own fist to Mark's. "You're a damn good man."

Ben smiled. "Thank you, but I did what I had to do for my daughter."

Mark nodded, but stayed silent. Randy and John were happy with just watching the other three. They had a feeling their friend had a lot on his mind, but they hadn't a clue what it was. He looked almost torn and happy at the same time. Maybe he would fill them in later on, but they had a feeling he wouldn't.

Ashley suddenly stood up and grabbed the platter. She gave them each a smile. "Look guys, you three have been up for quite a while and now that you've had your tummies filled twice, you really need a nap."

If on cue, John yawned followed by Randy and then Mark. Ashley giggled as her dad laughed. "I have two guest bedrooms. Randy, John, you two can take your pick of them and Mark you can take my room if that's okay." She offered.

Mark looked pained for all of two seconds before putting a smile on his face. "I appreciate it. Thanks."

"I'll run down and grab our bags." Randy offered.

Ben dug in his pocket and handed him his elevator key. "Here ya go. You can use my key. Just make sure I get it back."

Randy took it with a thanks. "I'll be right back." With that said, he left quickly.

Once Mark, Randy and John were settled behind closed doors, Ashley sat down with her father in the living room. Ashley knew he wanted to make sure she was okay and he didn't wait long to ask.

"How are you feeling?" He asked, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.

She smiled. "I'm fine, Dad. I promise. No lasting effects whatsoever."

He gave her a quick hug. "I still can't believe some sick son of a bitch tried to kill my daughter." His eyes filled with tears and Ashley shook her finger at him.

"Make those tears go away. I'm fine, I promise."

He did as she asked and then motioned behind him towards the bedrooms. "What's up with your entourage?" He grinned.

Ashley giggled. "Randy and John came with Mark. They wanted to make sure I was okay."

"You feel okay around them? Safe?"

She nodded. "They would never hurt me. I know it. I can feel it. Do you mind them being here?"

He took a deep breath. "As long as they don't hurt you, emotionally or physically, I'm okay with them. But you're all just friends, right?" He looked unsure of how to ask if she was carrying on a romantic relationship with any of them.

Ashley laughed. "We're all friends."

Her dad looked almost relieved. "I'm not sure how to handle you being with one of them; in a romantic sense. Not right now."

She shook her head. She refused to think about being in a romantic relationship with any of them. They were her friends. She didn't want to ruin that. "Enough of that, Dad. How did it feel meeting your favorite wrestler?"

Her dad immediately broke out in a huge grin. Their previous conversation and all relationship questions were completely forgotten.


	8. Time Marches On

**THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU TO TANYA2BEYOUR21, KEEPER OF OZ, FIRECRACKER, SONIB89, & KEPOUROS FOR YOUR WONDERFUL, LOVELY REVIEWS! YOU GUYS ARE AWESOME!**

Author's Note: I'm not entirely sure how becoming an actual wrestler works or the how the Shield came to be in the WWE… So I made it all up… Enjoy! I like doing that!

Disclaimer: Oh yes... I haven't said this in a while.. The WWE and anything pertaining to the WWE is not mine. Mark Calaway/Taker is not mine. I do not own anything and I am not making any money. I'm only having fun and I won't hurt them.

This chapter's quote...

_"As a kid, I wasn't much of a fan of Undertaker, but as I became a wrestler, I came to respect him more, after understanding everything he's accomplished-especially since his legend has grown through all WrestleMania wins. He treats everything with each importance, from the entrance to all that happens in the ring. And that's very important for guys learning to wrestle." -Daniel Bryan_

Chapter Eight  
Time Marches On

**Monday May 6, 2013**

Pinching my nose in utter irritation, I counted to ten. When ten didn't work, I went to thirty. When thirty didn't work either, I counted until my heart rate when back to normal. I got to one hundred and fourteen. I wasn't angry; I was just irritated to a point that was hard to return back to my normal laid back self. I was annoyed with the Shield; Dean Ambrose, Roman Reigns, and Seth Rollins were complete pains in my ass. They were talented, dedicated, determined, and enthusiastic about the sport of wrestling but they were cocky past the point of anything smart. Too cocky it seemed at times. They were a good team together, but I seriously doubted they had talent by themselves. And so did other members of the WWE roster because that's where I came in.

When the Shield approached Vince McMahon (and they did… which is slightly unheard of), Vince gave them to Paul Heyman to 'try' them out. They went above and beyond the call of duty. Despite the protests of the Superstars, the Shield was feared by all. They infiltrated the WWE in every superstar's worst nightmare. You had to work your way to the top and once you got there, to have that destroyed in a split second by three arrogant fuckers, well like I said every one's worst nightmare. Even if with that said, the Shield are better as a group than they are one on one, if they could even do a true one on one match (without the other two interfering). It seemed to me that Ambrose, Reigns, and Rollins were incapable of having a singles match. Where one went the other two followed. Well, Vince was putting a stop to that; to a point of course. He wanted them to wrestle by themselves; he just didn't believe they were adept of doing so. Again that's where I came in.

Vince wanted me to work with them one on one. When he came to me last Monday asking for my help, I wanted to refuse. After everything that had happened with the Shield in the last few weeks, I wasn't overly fond of the triple team threat. However, I had helped many of the superstars that are popular today and Vince wanted to give that to the Shield. Not just popularity with the audience but popularity with the WWE roster. See a lot of people believe that the Shield entered the arena through the crowd because it was part of their M.O. but the truth is if they entered back stage with the rest of us, they would get their asses kicked every night. In the wrestling world, we all respect one another. We have our story lines and we may have our arguments and disagreements, but respect for each other is a major part of our relationships with one another. The Shield didn't have the respect of their fellow team mates. It was more or less just fear of them and anger towards them.

Last week I worked with Dean Ambrose and let me just say that I was seriously pleased that last week was fucking over. Ambrose was egotistical, narcissistic, cocky, whiny, and extremely ignorant. He was a six foot four, two hundred and twenty pound overgrown whiny toddler. He was good and very fucking talented in the squared circle, but after about twenty minutes of a non-stop work-out in that ring, he was too tired to put up much of a fight. He was winded, out of breath, and sloppy. After twenty-five minutes he started looking for a way out. He was looking for his comrades; his partners in crime. I put him in the Hell's Gate and told him to get loose. I swear he cried like a damn baby. I wasn't even putting that much damn pressure on his legs. Just enough to make it hurt to want to get out of the hold. He wasn't in any damage, but you couldn't tell him that. You would swear I was really killing; no, torturing him is more like it.

That was last Tuesday and by Sunday when we parted ways; he could easily break the hold and get loose. He fought back something fierce. He can now pass the twenty minute mark and not get winded. Oh he was still an arrogant fuck, but he was now ready for any one on one match. Now I was working with Roman Reigns. I could see why Ambrose and Reigns were friends; they were both cut from the same cloth. Reigns was an inch shorter than Ambrose, but he had forty pounds on him. He was a muscular jackass, but him and Ambrose were complete fucktards. I had a bad feeling that Seth Rollins was the same way.

So here I was on a Monday afternoon with Reigns locked in Hell's Gate. And yes he was screaming like a banshee. He lasted almost thirty minutes before he began looking for his team mates and it was almost forty minutes before he got sloppy. He too needed to work on his cardio before he could go further. He didn't believe me about anything. So here we are… Hell's Gate. I told him good luck, I wasn't a complete asshole. We had been in this position for thirteen minutes and counting. He didn't think it was fair because he couldn't tap out. Oh wah wah wah.

"Grow some nuts, Reigns. I'm barely holding you. Break it."

He continued to whine. That was fine; I had better things to think about. Like a small brown eyed, brown haired, five foot vixen who was the best little chef in the state of Missouri and the fact that I was struggling with feelings I didn't want. I liked her. A lot and I was grateful to call her my friend. The last two weeks have been good for me and my friends. We go over there as often as we can and hang out. She feeds us delicious food. I've doubled my work-out because of that delicious food and I do believe Cena and Orton have too. And Glenn too; I introduced those two last week. Glenn loved her instantly. Of course I had no doubt in that. Ashley was amazing, sweet, funny, and just simply adorable. I found myself flying to St. Louis as often as I could. Since that fateful Saturday I met her dad, I've been over three more times. I've been there with Glenn, Cena, Orton, and Sheamus and I went by myself once. That was this past Saturday where Ashley finally cornered me about me meeting her dad.

Shit, where did I start with that. Her dad was younger than me. I know in the beginning, I told myself that I only wanted her as a friend. She was easy to talk to and I got along with her without any problems so I didn't want to fuck that up. Upon first meeting her, I thought she was adorable and I liked her. I also thought she was a pretty girl. After the last three weeks, I've gotten to know her more and what I've discovered, I've liked. She was beautiful inside and out. There was just something about her that drew me to her. I wanted to call her, I wanted to talk to her and I wanted to see her; to visit her. I had been thinking about her more in a sexual manner. I've been thinking about kissing her, tasting her, touching her, making love to her, and bending her over her own kitchen table and fucking her until she screamed my name in ecstasy. I wanted to know what it felt like to have her hands on me and heaven help me, her mouth on me.

Before I met her father, I had thought about testing the waters, so to speak. Light caresses, a kiss to her mouth every so often, just to see how those were received. Then taking it further if she responded, heavier kisses, more touching. But that was before meeting her father. He was younger than me which now normally wouldn't have been a problem, but he had a twenty four year old daughter that I wanted. I got to thinking that if her father was _younger than me _(yes, I couldn't get over it) than what in the hell did Ashley want with a much older man than herself. It would be like fucking her own father and I didn't see Ashley going for that. I didn't even want to think about what her dad would say to us being together. He would probably flip the fuck out.

And then I thought about what would happen if we took our friendship pass the point of no return. What if we had this great chemistry and fucked like bunnies for days, weeks, months, or hell years and then we decided we no longer wanted to be together. Would I lose her as that friend that I've come to rely on? I wasn't so sure I wanted to take that chance anymore. She was becoming so damn important to me that losing her just wasn't an option. Hell, she got me. She fucking got me. She understood me and everything about me it seemed. She liked my friends just as much as she liked me. Okay, so sometimes that annoyed me, but most of the time I enjoyed the hell out of it. She wanted to please me, she wanted to please my friends, but not because she wanted to fuck us or because she wanted something from us. She wanted to please us because she honestly liked us for us. Not that we were wrestlers, rich, and such shit as that, but she liked us.

And we all fucking loved and adored her. We all called her, we all sought her out when we needed to talk, and we all wanted to see her as much as possible. We all made it known to her neighbors, her friends, her co-workers, and that fucking security guard that she was ours and we would protect her beyond any means necessary. And we would without a single hesitation. So far we haven't had to.

The asshole who tried to kill her, twice has suddenly disappeared. The last two weeks have been completely quiet. Her co-workers have backed off a little and Ashley was thankful for that. She hated the thought of any of her friends getting hurt because of her. I personally didn't like the fact that this murderer was laying low. To me that meant bad fucking news. I was thankful for her security tight condo and the fact that Harley, Jason, Eric, and Tony were keeping a close eye on her while she was at work. She was still in danger. I could feel it in my gut, all the way to my bones. And I fucking hated it. It was only a matter of time before he struck again.

Coming back to the presence, I released Reigns with a jerk. He hit the mat hard, grunting. "You need to work on your cardio." I announced, heading out of the ring.

Reigns coughed and dragged his ass to the corner, propping himself up against the turnbuckles. "You. Are. An. Ass." He had to breathe through each word slowly.

I shrugged, stopping my halt out of the ring. "That may be, but you are out of shape and pathetic. You need cardio."

He snorted. "Why cardio?" He asked.

"To strengthen your heart." I replied.

"Huh?"

I rolled my eyes. Was he really this fucking dumb? "You know what cardio stands for, right?"

He nodded slowly. "The heart?"

He wasn't sure. I resisted the urge to laugh. I nodded. "Cardio exercise is technically known as aerobic exercise, everyone just calls it cardio." I sat down in the opposite corner of the ring, facing him. "Cardio is physical exercise of relatively low intensity that depends primarily on the aerobic energy-generating process. Aerobic literally means 'living in air' and refers to the use of oxygen to adequately meet energy demands during exercise via aerobic metabolism."

"What?"

I took a deep breath. Just because I was a wrestler, did not mean I was fucking stupid. I hoped it meant the same for the others. "Cardio exercise is to strengthen your heart. To help keep your heart rate down while your adrenaline is pumping. When your heart rate increases, your blood pumps faster, and then your breathing comes faster. Before you know it, you're tired and ready to quit."

"What does cardio exercise include? I already work out every day of the week."

"I work out every day as well, but you need to include running/jogging, swimming, bike riding, and even walking. Pumping iron does not help with your heart."

"Those will help?"

I nodded. "Didn't they help Ambrose?"

He was silent for a moment before nodding. "He said they did so yeah."

I stood. "So start. Today. Now. Because you need it. By Sunday, you should be able to keep up with me well past thirty minutes and you will be able to break Hell's Gate. We'll meet here every day, same time."

He nodded. "Thanks." He called out as I left the area.

I gave him a backwards wave and walked out. My mind was no longer on Reigns and the other Shield members. My mind was on my chef. I wanted… no I _needed_ to hear her voice.

* * *

**Friday May 10, 2013**

I entered my newest hotel room, looked around, shut the door behind me, and let out a sigh. I was tired of the hotel rooms and tired of traveling. I had followed the WWE roster to Raleigh, North Carolina to continue my training with Roman Reigns. At least he listened most of them damned time. Ambrose never wanted to listen to others. Reigns was a little different in that aspect. He was a lot easier to work with these last few days. But I was still tired and ready for this week to end. Especially now that I knew I wouldn't be able to see Ashley until next fucking Friday. Extreme Rules was going to be hosted in St. Louis and I had a match. But I wouldn't be able to go to St. Louis until then. I hated not being able to see again until next week, but it couldn't be helped. Promos and such for Extreme Rules. I haven't seen her since May fourth and I missed her. The last time I talk to her was Wednesday. I couldn't get a hold of her last night and that was bugging the shit out of me.

I dropped my duffel bag on the bed and my keys, wallet, and cell phone on the night stand. I stripped out of my sweaty, dirty clothes and headed for the shower. It didn't take me long to wash, it never did especially now that I didn't have long hair. After drying, I debated putting on a pair of sweats, but in the end I crawled between the sheets buck ass naked. I had grabbed a bottle of water from the mini fridge before getting into bed and I drained half of it in one gulp.

I smiled as I grabbed my phone and dialed Ashley's home number. She answered after a few rings.

"Hey Mark!" She sounded happy and upbeat. It was contagious.

"Baby girl, how are you?"

"I'm great! How are you? Is the Shield giving you any more trouble?" She asked unable to contain the disgust in her voice at the mention of the Shield.

I laughed softly. "I'm pretty good actually. Reigns isn't as bad as Ambrose."

"Reigns is the one with the long black hair, right?"

"He is."

"I thought so, but I don't really care for any of them. Kind of jerks, aren't they?"

"More like overbearing assholes, but yes I agree."

She giggled. "Are you ready for Extreme Rules?"

"Oh baby girl you haven't a clue how ready I am."

Another giggle. She was definitely happy about something. "I'm super excited. I totally bet you're going to put them in their place."

"I'm glad you're confident in me, Darlin'."

"I'm always totally confident in you, Mark. You are awesome!"

She was definitely happy about something. She was practically beaming over the phone. I wonder what had her so damn happy.

"You're happy tonight, baby girl." I stated.

She giggled and I felt myself smile.

"I'm always happy, Mark." She replied with a snippy tone. I knew she wasn't irritated though.

I laughed. "You are, but tonight it seems more so than usual."

Another giggle. What in the world was she up to? I was definitely intrigued.

"You didn't call yesterday and while I know you don't have to and I definitely don't expect you to, why didn't you?"

A change of subject. Interesting.

"I did call yesterday. You didn't answer, baby girl."

Silence met my statement. "Cell or home, Mark?" She asked after a minute.

"I called both and you didn't answer."

"What time?"

I heard the frown in her voice.

"It was earlier than usual; around eight or so."

"Oh."

That one little word said it all. I wondered what she was doing last night. My chest tightened painfully.

"Where were you, Ashley?" I kept my voice serious.

"I was out last night with friends. I must not have heard my phone going off."

She was lying. I could feel it and I didn't understand why. If she was out with friends than that was fine by me as long as she was completely safe.

"Were you safe?" I asked.

"I was. You know it."

It wasn't a full lie, but it was close. I continued on with my questioning.

"Where did you go?"

Hesitation met my question.

"Just out to hang out."

She was lying. Big time.

"Ashley, you're lying."

"What?" She squeaked.

"You're lying. Why?"

"Why do you think I'm lying?"

I chuckled. I wasn't upset that she was lying because she was lying for a reason. That reason I wasn't sure of but I was about to find out.

"Because you are, baby girl. What are you keeping such a secret about?" I teased her with a grin.

More hesitation before finally she let out a happy squeal. "I had a date!"

I lost my smile.

* * *

A/N: I know it's short and mostly thoughts... but it was a must..


	9. Dating Thoughts

Disclaimer: Nothing is mine, but Ashley and sometimes that's iffy!

**THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU TO SONIB89, TAMMY, KEEPER OF OZ, XTHEFIRESTILLBURNS, BEASTHEAT, KEPOUROS, TANYA2BYOUR21, FIRECRACKER, JODI, KAKASHISHOT, & JOHNCENAFAN101 FOR YOUR WONDERFUL REVIEWS! THANK YOU FAMOUSWOLF FOR YOUR PM REVIEW! THE STORY ALERTS, FAVORITE ALERTS, AND FOLLOW ALERTS JUST KEEP COMING AND FOR THAT I AM TRULY HONORED. YOU READERS ARE THE BEST!  
**

This chapter's quote:

_"This is what happened the first time I met Undertaker, he chewed me out. I was backstage one night before a show and, just then, Edge was talking to me about something, and I was in the locker room fixing my hair. So, Edge is sitting there talking to me, and I'm looking in the mirror and listening the whole time, talking back to him, whatever. And, all of a sudden, out of nowhere, Undertaker got on my case so bad, asking me who I thought I was, why I didn't have time to pay attention, and I should take the time out from fixing my hair to listen to what Edge had to say to me."_ –Heath Slater

Chapter Nine  
Dating Thoughts

**Thursday Morning May 9, 2013**

She was off today which was rare so she intended to enjoy it. The first thing she did was sleep well past the sunrise. She awoke at five after eight and she felt completely refreshed. She walked bare foot into the kitchen, wearing only a t-shirt which went passed her knees. One that Mark had accidentally left behind. As the coffee perked and sputtered she inhaled deeply, she smelled Mark and sweat. She hadn't washed it yet. She couldn't do it and she even tried to force herself to wash it. She didn't though but today she would. It was definitely time to wash it. She just felt … better when she was wearing it. Like he was there with her. Sappy, she knew.

Grabbing a mug from the cabinet, she poured her coffee and then added a healthy dose of sugar and chocolate caramel creamer. She then grabbed a banana and headed back into the bathroom. She sat her coffee down on the counter and turned on the water to the tub, getting just the perfect temperature for her luxurious bubble bath. While the tub filled, she put a few drops of her Rosemary mint honey bubble bath. As she waited for the tub to fill, she ate her banana and drank her coffee.

She wondered what Mark was doing? She knew he was WWE headquarters today and that this week he was training one of the Shield this week, Roman Reigns she did believe. She wondered if he was having a good morning. She wondered if he was having problems with Reigns or if he had a good night's rest. Was Randy, John, Glenn, or Sheamus around headquarters or were they elsewhere, practicing and rehearsing for Smackdown or working out and lifting weights to keep their muscular forms. She wondered if he would call her tonight like he did every night and she most certainly wondered when she would see him again.

She shook her head. She did that a lot lately. Wondering about Mark. She hoped she wasn't becoming obsessed with him, but it was hard not to think about him. She didn't really associate him as Undertaker anymore. He was Mark to her. A Mark that smiled, laughed, teased, loved her food, and genuinely liked being with her and around her. She was so thankful for every time she got to see him and spend time with him. She knew that eventually Mark would get tired of hanging out with her and go back to his usual ways, but she was okay with that. She would always remember the times she did have with him. After all he was a busy man.

Once the tub was filled, she finished her coffee, stripped, and sunk down into the suds. She didn't think about anything else but her plans for the day. She needed to go shopping, she was out of practically everything in her kitchen. She absolutely hated when she ran out of ingredients, made her kitchen feel completely empty. She chuckled softly to herself. She guessed in hindsight, her kitchen was empty when she ran out of ingredients. She was seriously losing her mind. Her days were filled with food or errands. Her evenings were filled with more food, customers and her crazy co-workers. Her nights were filled with Mark and sometimes one of the others called her too. She laughed hysterically the entire time she talked to John or Randy. They were so funny. However she enjoyed her conversations with Mark. He could always make her smile and laugh until she was sure she was going to pee her pants. He was just so different than his character the Undertaker. She had been meaning to ask him why he chose that particular persona, but she never thought of it once they were together.

Standing up, she let the water out of the tub. She grabbed a towel, wrapping it around her small form, shaking her head as she did so. She turned the shower on and stepped underneath the spray. She was still thinking about Mark. She really liked him and she knew she was beginning to think of him in other ways. She knew she shouldn't because he was much older than her, but his age didn't matter to her. He was strong, sexy, virile, sweet, lovable, kind, caring, funny, and so... hot. She couldn't help but blush just thinking that. He was just so down to earth and easy to get along with it. She would treasure his friendship always and that's why she would never pursue any other relationship besides friendship with him. It didn't matter what happened in the future, he would always and only be her friend. Maybe her best friend, but a friend none the less. She couldn't lose that. She couldn't lose him. She had a feeling he wouldn't be around forever, but she was okay with that. He was there now and that was all that mattered.

* * *

**At The Super Market**

She had only been here for ten minutes and her cart was already full. She had three gallons of milk; two whole milks and one skim for her. She found that her boys (yes she liked calling them her boys because they) would rather have whole milk than skim milk and she hated them to be disappointed. She got two boxes of eggs; five dozen in each box. Each one of them could eat a whole dozen scrambled eggs by themselves so a lot of eggs were a must. She had two gallons of orange juice because she loved orange juice and to her delight so did Mark. She then added butter (and lots of it… for baking of course), cottage cheese, sour cream, cream cheese, yogurt (twenty containers of regular and ten containers of Greek), cinnamon rolls, packaged cookies (just in case) and she got five different kinds of cookies; two packages of each. She then tossed in six different kinds of cheese in shredded and blocks. She also added Kraft singles because let's face it; nothing was better than Kraft singles. After adding bottled water, four different kinds of chips, two packages of the individual fun size bags of chips, two cases of Cola and a twelve pack of root beer (floats… duh!), two bags of peanut M&M's, two bags of plain M&M's, five different bags of other candy, paper towels, toilet paper, trash bags, bacon, sausage, two large hams, a very large turkey, twelve boxes of cereal (not her fault… she couldn't decide which one), all-purpose flour, self-rising flour, cake flour, and bread flour, several five pound bags of sugar, several bags of brown sugar and powdered sugar, salt, pepper, several other spices, liquid smoke, baking soda, baking powder, vanilla, karo syrup, maple syrup, tea bags, saltine crackers, ritz crackers, and two other kind of crackers, and two cases of gatorade, her cart was full and she wasn't through shopping.

She knew that with Extreme Rules being in St. Louis there was a huge chance she would have company. In fact, she was counting on it, hoping for it. And she planned on each one of her boys leaving with a care package to take with them. Plus she wanted to make sure that they all felt completely at home at her house and she wanted them to have plenty to eat. She would cook for them yes but these guys could put away the food. She needed to make sure she had everything on hand. She was so focused on her lists and her cart and her boys, she nearly ran smack dab into a familiar face.

"Ashley, is that you?" He made it into a question, but by the sound of his voice he knew exactly who it was.

She shook her head, clearing her thoughts and looked up. She instantly smiled. "Dr. Forrester, hi." Her voice was warm, pleasant.

He returned her smile. "You look good, healthy. How are you feeling?" He was concerned. She could feel it.

"I'm doing great, Dr. Forrester." She exclaimed. He saved her life and she was grateful, but she liked this doctor for other reasons. She just wasn't sure of those reasons.

His smile warmed and went into a different direction. "Call me Jordan, please. I insist." His words almost seductive.

Ashley blushed, ducking her head. He was older yes, but she didn't care about age. Age never mattered. He was handsome and intelligent. He was a doctor and way past her league. But hell, so was Mark.

"Thank you, Jordan. How are you?" There was hesitation in her voice. She was unsure of how to continue this conversation. He made her nervous. She didn't understand why.

"My day is definitely looking up, Ashley." His voice was husky.

Another blush flushed her peaches and cream complexion and she stopped the giggle from escaping. What in the world was happening to her? She needed to get away. She needed to finish her shopping.

"It was very nice seeing you again, Jordan, but I must continue my shopping." She kept her voice even and her words came slow but precise.

Jordan reached out and touched her arm as she tried to scurry away. "Wait please." He was suddenly on the verge of shouting. Not because he was angry but because he was now nervous and unsure.

Ashley turned and looked into his dark eyes. They weren't brown or black but a mixture of in between that. She thought they were beautiful. Not as much as Mark's green eyes, but beautiful.

"Yes?"

"I know it's sudden and last minute, but would you go out to dinner with me this evening?" He sounded confident but something told Ashley he was anything but.

Chewing on her lower lip, she wondered why he was asking her out. He took her silence for hesitation and the last thing he wanted was for her to say no.

"Just give me a chance. Please." He was begging but then he wasn't quite really begging.

"Why tonight?" Ashley asked after a few moments of silence.

He relaxed, his stance visibly going lax. "Tonight is my last night off. Tomorrow morning I go back on call for the next week. And trust me; working in the emergency department is non-stop chaos." He gave her a light smile, a non-predatory smile.

She wasn't busy tonight by any means. Tonight was her night off and she had only been planning on cooking and baking but she could do that tomorrow before and after work. She would just make sure she was home by ten because Mark usually called her after ten.

"I would like that, Jordan."

He looked relieved. Honest to God relieved that she agreed to a date with him. Ashley was a little confused but she shrugged it off. He gave her a huge blinding smile.

"I'll pick you –"

She interrupted. "How about I meet you somewhere." She offered softly. She didn't want him knowing where she lived. At least not yet.

He nodded, not at all offended. She was a smart woman. That made him happy. "Where would you like to meet?" He asked her.

"Do you know where Harley's is?"

He nodded. "I do."

"I'll meet you there out front."

He smiled. "I'll meet you there. At seven."

* * *

**Friday Night May 9, 2013**

"I know this isn't exactly your normal go to place to eat on a date, but I just had a feeling you would enjoy it." He may have had a feeling, but he was still nervous about whether or not she would like it or not. She could hear it in his voice.

She had dressed in a white eyelet A-line skirt. It reached mid-thigh on her slight form and made her feel girly and feminine. Her festival pink sleeveless scoop-neck tank was flirty and fun. Her matching low heel sandals completed her casual date look along with some light pink eye shadow, mascara, and light pink lip gloss. Jordan had told her she looked beautiful. She still wondered if he meant it.

He was dressed in a pair of khaki colored chinos and a dark blue button down short sleeve shirt. His hair was causally disheveled and his dark eyes twinkled. He reminded her a little of Hugh Jackman. She really liked Hugh Jackman.

She looked at her surroundings and her eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "What is this place?" She asked curiously.

"Well I know you're a chef so … I… well…" He cleared his throat and tried again. "You've heard of cook offs, right?" He asked and she nodded eagerly. She liked the idea already. "This is the ultimate cook-off. They give you a scoring sheet once you pay the entrance fee. There are over an hundred different booths and each booth is a different category. There's apple pie, beef stew, chili, steak, lamp, chicken, chocolate cake, and so much more. Each booth is numbered so you know how to judge."

Jordan paid the twenty dollar entrance fee for them both and together they walked in. Ashley let out a gasp at the massive turn out. Jordan was right, there were lots of booths and the aromas were making her mouth water. She was going to enjoy this.

"Where do you want to start?" Jordan asked, looking a little lost.

She looked down at the score sheet and smiled. "How about number one?" She replied, licking her lips.

Jordan's dark eyes locked on her mouth and nodded. "What's booth one?"

Licking her lips again, she made a little mew sound. "Chocolate cake." She told him.

That snapped Jordan out of his trance and he chuckled. "You're such a girl." He teased.

She nodded enthusiastically. "I am for chocolate cake."

He laughed as they walked towards booth one. Each booth held three people which equaled three samples. The sample was a little smaller than a deck of cards. They both tried all three of the chocolate cake before deciding on which one they wanted. Ashley liked number two better because it was dark chocolate cake that was moist and it had white frosting that wasn't too sweet, but Jordan liked number three which was milk chocolate cake and dark chocolate frosting. She thought it was too sweet. Booth one they did not agree, but that was okay with her. She wanted them to have their differences. They moved on to booth two after grabbing a bottle of water. There were also booths set up in between the food booths that held beverages. Bottles of water, orange juice, white milk, chocolate milk, Cola, Pepsi, Mountain Dew, Sprite, Diet Cola, Diet Dr. Pepper, lemon tea, unsweetened tea, and sweet tea made sure that everyone had abundant of choices.

Booth two, three, and four were all chicken dishes and Ashley loved them all. Jordan wasn't so sure about booth three, but he finally tried it and liked it. Booth five was pizza and Ashley wasn't so sure about this one. It didn't look like regular pizza. It didn't look like hers either. But a small nibble, she stole Jordan's from his plate. Jordan laughed and voted for number two at booth five. Ashley voted the same. Booth ten was blackberry cobbler. One of Ashley's favorites. Jordan didn't like blackberries.

"Try it." Ashley urged.

He slowly shook his head. "I'm not too fond of blackberries. Well I don't really like any berries."

Ashley gave a little pout and put a little whine in her words. "Please. For me. It would make me really really happy."

Jordan turned to mush. He couldn't refuse her pretty face or that sexy voice. He took a plate and tried a small bite. He moaned in his throat and Ashley giggled. He finished sample one and tried sample two and got the same response as did the third one. He finished them all and threw the plates in the trash can next to the booth.

"You were right. Blackberry cobbler is delicious." He told her, pouting a little.

She gave him a slight jab in the ribs with a small elbow and he grunted. Rolling her eyes, she motioned to his score card. "I'm always right. Now which one are you voting for?"

"Two was the best." He said after a moment.

Ashley nodded and checked the same box he did. "Two was the best. I agree."

He smiled smugly. "I knew you would."

She rolled her eyes and they continued on to booth eleven. Ashley frowned.

"What's wrong?" Jordan's voice almost frantic.

She sighed. "I'm allergic to oysters so you're on your own with this one." She was disappointed, but it happens.

Jordan grasped her hand and pulled her to booth twelve.

"What are you doing, Jordan?"

Jordan pulled Ashley against his side. "I don't really like oysters." He told her, winking.

Ashley smiled and nodded and they continued onto booth twelve. He was sweet to do that for her. He didn't even resent her for it. She would remember that.

"This is lamb chop stew." Jordan stated, sounding a little wary. Ashley giggled and grabbed a bowl.

"I bet it's delicious." She replied, taking a bite. She smile quickly turned into a grimace and she wrinkled her nose.

Jordan laughed. "Not your thing, Honey?" He teased.

She politely smiled at the lady who handed her the cup of soup before tossing it into the trash. She motioned for Jordan to lean down. "I love lamb stew. That is not lamb stew. Don't eat it." She whispered in his ear.

Jordan inhaled sharply as her soft breath caressed his ear. Who knew that could turn a man on? He knew it now. He nodded, grinning. "I will not try the stew." He accepted her word and they carried on to the next booth, skipping the other two lamb stews.

Before they knew it they were on booth thirty-six and Ashley was so full she wasn't sure if she could continue. "I don't think I can continue, Jordan. I'm so full from all this food."

Jordan once again grabbed her hand and together they walked to entrance of the building. Ashley felt comfortable with Jordan, but not as comfortable as she was with Mark.

They turned in their score cards and headed out to Jordan's silver Mercedes sedan. It was almost nine and Jordan had one more thing up his sleeve. But first –

"Are you ready to go home or do you have time for one more stop?" He asked, eying her closely. He wanted her to go but he didn't want to force her.

She shook her head. "I'm not ready to go home." She didn't smile, but it was in her voice. She was having a good time.

He smiled this goofy smile and Ashley felt her insides go all soft and gooey inside. He was very handsome. They rode in silence for the ten minute drive. Ashley was anxious and excited. She couldn't wait to see what Jordan had in store for her next. The cook-off thing was totally outside the box and completely fun. She never would have thought the good doctor would take her to a cook-off, but she was glad he did.

They pulled into a parking lot and Ashley let out a gasp of surprise and delight. "The Science Center! We're going to the Science Center!" The excitement in her voice was contagious and Jordan let out a laugh.

"I guess that means you like the Science Center." He teased.

Ashley eagerly nodded. "I love the Science Center. I've been at least a hundred times and it never gets boring. But I didn't know they were open this late." That part definitely confused her a little.

"At least a few times a year they keep the Center open until midnight. With so many tourists coming in for Spring break, this week they've got it open until midnight Thursday, Friday, and Saturday."

"I never knew that."

"I'm a doctor. I know all." He replied with a pretend air of smugness.

Ashley snorted making Jordan laugh. "Well excuse me _Doctor_ Jordan, I bet you don't know it all." Ashley replied with a soft smirk.

He touched the tip of his finger to the tip of her nose. "I bet I know I'm going to kiss you."

Ashley blinked and stumbled over what she had been going to say. She sucked in a breath. "What?" She was honestly shocked. She hadn't seen that one coming.

He chuckled softly, the sound filling the interior of the sedan. "I know it's completely unethical, but I've wanted to kiss you since the first day I've met you."

She swallowed the lump in her throat. "You mean when you saved my life." She didn't know what to think about that.

He shook his head. "When you came in that night all I was worried about was saving your life. When I went into your room to introduce myself to you, I just wanted to scream, screw the rules and regulations of you being my patient. I wanted to hold you and kiss you. There's just something about you." He spoke softly and barely audible but she heard every last word and she didn't know what to say.

"I don't –"

She broke off, unsure and suddenly shy. She liked Jordan, but she wasn't sure how she **felt** about him.

Jordan once again smiled. He thought her shyness was rather cute. He leaned closer and touched her mouth with his. A whisper of lips and he felt it to his very core. She however felt nothing. She parted her mouth and he took advantage, deepening the kiss, tasting her more. She wanted – no she hoped – to feel more for Doctor Jordan Forrester, but she did not. As Jordan swept his tongue inside to caress her mouth, her thoughts went to Mark. She wanted to know what it was like to kiss him. Would it be as boring as this or more exciting?

She jerked back, startling Jordan. "I'm sorry." She was horrified. She was kissing one guy while thinking of another.

Jordan cupped her cheek and smiled. "It's okay. I'm just moving too fast. Come on. Let's go check out the Science Center."

She nodded mutely and followed Jordan's lead. She didn't know what else to do. Her thoughts were now filled with Mark. Kissing Mark and touching Mark. Making love to Mark too. But that was all in her dreams. It would never happen. She needed to get over that and accept her new relationship with Jordan. Who knew? Maybe she could feel the same way about Jordan as she did with Mark.

She snorted. Yeah right. Like that would ever happen.

"You okay?" Jordan asked, concerned.

She smiled and nodded. "I'm fine. I promise." Even to her own ears, it sounded forced.

Jordan accepted it, kissing her cheek. They continued on their way to the Science Center. Her thoughts still on her friend and their next phone conversation.

* * *

**Friday May 10, 2013**

She checked her phone for the gazillionath time and let out a very sad sigh. She got home last night at quarter after ten to find that her phone had died in her purse. She plugged it up and waited but not a phone call came. She didn't have caller id on her house phone, but no one had left any messages. Her cell phone had been just as silent. Mark did not call her.

At first she didn't think nothing of it, but as time went by and last night turned into today she started to worry. She started to wonder and ponder the reasons why he didn't call. He was a busy man and Ashley didn't expect him to call her all the time. Maybe he was just so tired that he went straight to sleep. She wouldn't have blamed him at all. He definitely needed to sleep and to get his rest. Maybe he worked with Roman Reigns so long that by the time he got in it was late and he didn't want to wake her up. Maybe he had a date and … She didn't really like that idea so she discarded just as quickly. She knew in the back of her mind that it could be true but she didn't want to think about it. Not that there was anything wrong Mark dating because there wasn't because after all she just had a date. The chances of her and Mark were slim to none. Because even if he was interested in her –like that would ever happen – she didn't want to ruin their relationship so that was out of the equation.

She shook her head. She just couldn't seem to get a reign on her emotions. She was all over the place. But she needed to stick with the facts. Mark was a successful, good-looking man that could have any woman he wanted. She was a small town chef that was too shy. No man like him was going to want any woman like her. They were friends and she loved that he considered her important enough to be her friend. She was going to be thankful for that. She believed she got the better end of the deal anyway.

She smiled to herself and went back to what she was doing. Prepping for that night's dinner service. She looked around the kitchen, her eyes settling on her fellow chefs one at time. Antonio, Eric, Megan, Rainie were all here and in their own little worlds just as she was in hers.

She couldn't wait to tell Mark about her date. She wanted to wait until she saw him again so she had to keep a lid on emotions until then. Even though Jordan and her didn't have a lot of chemistry, she still had a lot of fun with him. She believed with time she could maybe fall in love with Jordan. But first she needed to tell him about Mark and the rest of her boys. She did tell him that she had friends coming next weekend so she wouldn't be able to go out anywhere. He had asked her about the mountain of food in her cart and she couldn't help but laugh. He teased her about her friends having a healthy appetite. Yes they did.

Mark, Randy, John, Sheamus, and Glenn were arriving Friday night and it would probably be late; some time after three or so in the morning. She was going to bed early Friday night so she could be up to fix them a big healthy and hearty breakfast before they crashed in bedrooms. Randy and John were going to take one bedroom while Glenn and Sheamus took the second bedroom. Mark of course would sleep in her bedroom. That seem to bother him at first but she realized he didn't want to kick her out of her own bed, but she didn't mind and she told him that. End of argument.

She would have the whole weekend with them because she already asked Jason if she could have the weekend off to spend with her friends that were coming in from out of town. He readily agreed since she had never asked off before. She was so excited about them coming in. And then her date too. She practically floated through the rest of her shopping trip but that was okay. She came back with everything on her list and a whole lot more.

To make things even better, the man that tried to kill her twice had completely disappeared. She still didn't understand why he wanted to kill her or why he just vanished off the grid. She wanted to believe that he had had the wrong person the whole time, but that was just a horrible thought as well. She was still on defense about all of it and she did NOT want to think about it.

Everything was going good for her right now. She just hope Mark called her tonight.

* * *

**Friday Night May 10, 2013**

"Hey Mark!" She was so glad he called. She really wanted to tell him, but she had to keep it quiet.

"Baby girl, how are you?" He sounded as happy as she did.

"I'm great! How are you? Is the Shield giving you any more trouble?" She asked, disgust rising in her voice at just the mention of the Shield. She really didn't like them.

Mark laughed softly. "I'm pretty good actually. Reigns isn't as bad as Ambrose."

"Reigns is the one with the long black hair, right?" She wasn't entirely sure which one was which.

"He is."

"I thought so, but I don't really care for any of them. Kind of jerks, aren't they?" She asked with a grin.

"More like overbearing assholes, but yes I agree." Chuckling as he replied.

She giggled. She couldn't help it. "Are you ready for Extreme Rules?" She was totally ready for Extreme Rules, but for different reasons.

"Oh baby girl you haven't a clue how ready I am." He let out a sigh.

She giggled again. She couldn't stop them. She was happy. "I'm super excited. I totally bet you're going to put them in their place."

"I'm glad you're confident in me, Darlin'."

"I'm always totally confident in you, Mark. You are awesome!" She was giddy, she was having trouble keeping it in check. She didn't even really understand why. She knew she had fun, but so far there was no chemistry.

"You're happy tonight, baby girl." He sounded curious. Oh crap. He was going to figure it out. She wanted to tell him face to face.

She giggled again. Maybe it was a nervous thing. He was so going to be on to her.

"I'm always happy, Mark." She replied with a snippy tone, trying to throw him off.

He laughed, she knew she was busted. "You are, but tonight it seems more so than usual."

Another giggle. Definitely a nervous habit. She needed to stop that. What she needed was to change the subject.

"You didn't call yesterday and while I know you don't have to and I definitely don't expect you to, why didn't you?" She asked. She really wanted to know what he was doing. Maybe he had a date too. She _would_ be happy for him.

"I did call yesterday. You didn't answer, baby girl." He told her in his own snippy tone.

Ashley didn't know how to respond to that. He did call? Her phone never rang. "Cell or home, Mark?"

"I called both and you didn't answer." He didn't sound mad, she hoped he wasn't. She would never not answer his call.

"What time?" She couldn't help but be sad. She missed his call.

"It was earlier than usual; around eight or so."

"Oh." OMG! She couldn't believe it! The first time she goes out and spends the evening elsewhere, he calls. And. She. Missed. It. But what was she going to tell him. She still wanted to tell him about her date but she wanted to tell him in person. Not over the phone.

"Where were you, Ashley?" Now he sounded a little upset. Crap. She didn't want to lie, but she would. Just this once.

"I was out last night with friends. I must not have heard my phone going off." The lie was a little forced, but she was sure he wouldn't notice.

"Were you safe?"

Crap. He sounded skeptical! He didn't believe her. She didn't blame him.

"I was. You know it." She told him smugly.

"Where did you go?"

Crap. He wasn't going to let this go. She hated lying.

"Just out to hang out." That definitely sounded more natural. Right?

"Ashley, you're lying."

Crap. He knew! She was busted!

"What?" She squeaked. She couldn't help it.

"You're lying. Why?" He wasn't upset or at least he didn't sound upset.

"Why do you think I'm lying?" Hurt clogged her throat and she felt stupid for feeling that way. She was lying to him not the other way around.

He chuckled. Why was he chuckling?

"Because you are, baby girl. What are you keeping such a secret about?"

She was sure he was smiling and if he was smiling he was happy. Right? Maybe she should just tell him. She didn't want him to think that she was harboring some horrible secret. It was a good thing she wanted to tell him so she would.

Before she could stop herself, she squealed. "I had a date!"


	10. I Didn't Think So

**THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU TO KEEPER OF OZ, TAMMY, LILYWHITE25, KAKASHISHOT, FIRECRACKER & RANDYORTONRULES62 FOR YOUR AWESOME REVIEWS! I LOVE THEM! I ADORE THEM! YOU GUYS ARE THE BEST! **

Just to let you know.. Yes I saw Extreme Rule.. it was awesome! But for this story.. I'm changing the matches of Extreme Rules .. Just a little!

Disclaimer: None of these fine wrestlers are mine, I am only playing with them. I will put them back when I am finished. I promise.

This chapter's quote:

_"Whenever Undertaker is in the ring, he takes his time with everything. A lot of younger Superstars, myself included, tend to rush through a match, but Undertaker always takes his time when he's in the ring. He makes every move count, and it makes a big difference. That patience – that's something I've learned by watching him, both as a fan and up close."_ –Jinder Mahal

Chapter Ten  
I Didn't Think So

**Friday Night May 10, 2013**

"She had a date. A date! She had a fucking date."

I tossed the phone on the night stand as I got up and headed towards the bathroom. She had a date with Jordan Forrester. The name sounded quite familiar but I couldn't put a face with a name. Not that I really gave a shit. I didn't care who she had a date with. I just didn't want to think about her having a damn date with some man I didn't know. It sounded like she had a lot of fun as well. Going to some cook-off and then the Science Center. Sounded like this strange man knew my Ashley well and that bothered me. She didn't say he kissed her or anything, but I had to be stupid to think he didn't at least try to kiss her. And I was _not_ a stupid man. Any red-blooded male wasn't going to pass up on kissing Ashley. She was just too damn cute and way too sexy for her own good.

"Ugh! She had a date!" I sneered at myself in the mirror. "Of course she had a date. She's young, vibrate, and beautiful. She decided to be taken out and pampered by a man her own age, not some old fogey with a bad knee and an even worse back." I told myself.

I shook my head. She was happy with the way things were and I would have to respect that. I would have to get over the fact that she was dating men without a second thought to me. She wasn't doing it to be rude. She didn't know how I felt about her and that was probably a damn good thing. She didn't need an old man in her life in that way. She didn't need a fucking father. She already had a great dad. She needed someone her own age. A man who could keep up with her and grow old with her. Hell, I was already fucking old.

I smiled in the mirror. It looked forced but it would have to do for now. "She's happy, Calaway. And that is _all_ that matters." I repeated that statement several more times before washing my face and heading back to bed. I had a long week ahead of me. I would keep myself focused on that and not Ashley and her date.

* * *

**Monday May 13, 2013**

Today was my first training session with Seth Rollins and so far the kid was pretty good. He may be the smallest of the three, but he was the best of that three. We had been wrestling for a little over forty minutes and the only time he lost his breath was when he let out a burst of energy. Whether it was flying off the turnbuckle to deliver a kick to my chest or flying off the top rope to accomplish a clothesline on the mats below, he always lost his breath. The first time, I speared him and he went down and I actually got a two and a half pin count. The second time I gave him forty five seconds to catch his breath and he was back to kicking ass. He just didn't do well with using sudden bursts of energy. He too needed to work on his cardio but he needed to focus on sudden bursts. Like jogging for about a mile than taking off in a dead run for about ten seconds. I was pretty sure that was all he needed, but I still needed to do one more thing.

I waited for about ten more minutes until he climbed on the top turnbuckle and tried to tap my head with his knee. A sudden burst of energy was all I needed and I attacked. I had him in Hell's Gate before he blink.

"Shit." He muttered with a low groan.

"Break this and we're done for the day."

"C'mon dude, I can't tap out."

I huffed out a breath. "You can call me Mark, Taker or I'll even answer to Calaway. Call me dude again and I'll twist your voice box and yank it out of your throat. That is your first, last, and only warning. Understand?" My voice was hard, unyielding. I left no room for any arguments. I hated being called dude. It was degrading and ignorant. Degrading of the recipient being called dude and ignorant of the person doing the calling. I did not like it.

He took a deep breath and nodded, his teeth grinding from the pain of Hell's Gate. "Yeah, I understand."

"Now, break the hold."

He grunted again, going still. I could feel his body rippling with the pain of Hell's Gate. But for a whole minute that was all I felt from Rollins. And I didn't hear a single peep from him. I knew what he was doing. He was thinking of ways; taking in his surroundings and finding a way to break the painful submission hold. Another character trait that made him different from his two partners in crime. The other two did not take the time to stop their continuous whining to even try to get free. Which made me wonder what in the hell this one was doing with the other two.

A couple seconds after the two minute mark, Rollins had a burst of energy and was free of Hell's Gates. He jumped up, giving a whoop and a holler. He grabbed two bottles of water from the side of the ring and tossed one on my direction. I caught it easily.

After a few gulps, I asked. "What are you doing with Reigns and Ambrose?"

Leaning against the ropes, his face scrunched in confusion. "Huh?"

I shook my head. "Why did you partner with Reigns and Ambrose?" I tried to rephrase the question.

He shrugged. "We're good together." Was his reply.

I nodded in agreement. "You are good together, but you are better without them. You could grow in this company without them."

He chuckled. "Heyman said that if we stick together, we'll climb the ladder quickly and become legends in our own right." He said smugly.

I snorted with derisive. "Fuck Heyman. He only looks out for himself. If you get anywhere with him, it will be on lies and deceit. Is that really the legend you want to become?"

Another shrug greeted my question. "What else way is there?"

I knew right then to give up because he didn't care about being respected and having respect for others. He may be the most talented but he wasn't the smartest in the bunch. Some super stars wanted to reach the top with integrity and by being honest. Not the Shield boys. I told him what he needed to do, what he needed to work on, what time we would meet tomorrow before walking out.

* * *

**Wednesday May 15, 2013**

I knocked on the door and waited for the gruff reply. It didn't long since he was expecting me. I gave him a curt nod and took a seat in front of his massive desk. Compensate much? I smirked and he cocked an eyebrow at me in question. I shook my head and motioned for him to get on with his questioning.

He leaned forward, using his desk to prop himself up. "Which one?"

I steepled my fingers in front of me and gave a small shrug. "Depends on what you want him for." I replied back.

"I need a leader with talent. A strong leader that won't disappear at the first signs of an attack."

I almost laughed. Were we discussing the talents of a wrestler or the skills of a solider? I wasn't quite sure anymore. "That could be any of them?" I said sarcastically.

"Which one would you recommend?" He asked, his eyes narrowing in annoyance.

"None of them."

Vince McMahon looked utterly confused. "Why is that?" He was getting upset.

"They make a great team, almost unstoppable, but their main goal is to get to the top as quickly as possible. They don't care how they do it or whose toes they have to step on. They want power and they want it quickly."

Vince sighed. "Tell me a little about them." It was not a request.

I sat up and leaned forward, closing the gap between myself and my –cough cough– boss. "They all needed cardio work out in their daily routines. I believe that's why they're in a team of three. After ten or twenty minutes they get tired and out of breath to the point they get sloppy. So switching partners frequently keep that from happening. Ambrose is the worse and the most power hungry. Rollins is the most talented and the one in best shape. He has a follower's attitude, but I think he could be a leader in his own right. Reigns is somewhere in between."

He sighed again. "Could any of them be loyal?" He asked, curious.

I shook my head. "Only to each other."

"Shit." He muttered, throwing himself backwards against his _massive_ desk chair.

"What's this about anyway?" I was a little curious, but I could care less either way. I seem to be developing that attitude with everything lately. Cute little brunettes included.

He sat up and forward once again. "I want to separate them." He whispered as if he was afraid to be overheard.

My eyes shot up passed my forehead. "Seriously?" I couldn't see that happening. Those three were almost attached to the hip.

Vince nodded. "I want them to turn on each other at Payback before reuniting once again at SummerSlam."

I snorted at that. There was no way that was happening. "Why them?"

He shrugged nonchalantly. "I thought it would be interesting. What do you think?"

Now normally when Vince asked for your opinion, he didn't really care, he was just asking to let the air of his lungs. This time however, I knew he was seriously interested in my opinion. That was a definitely a first. I was happy to give my outlook, but I knew Vince wouldn't take it. He never did.

"I think separating them on that type of level would be a bad idea. Definitely give them one on one title shots or even tag team title shots, but don't split them up via story lines, arguments, and fights. They complement each other so well out in the squared circle that fucking with that could fuck with them in a more personal level."

Another sigh. Wow. Three from the boss man. Should I be scared? Nah.

"You think there's more to them on a personal level?" He was curious. Vince and curious in the same sentence is never a good thing.

I shrugged as I rose to my feet. "I honestly don't know. We didn't discuss our periods and Brad Pitt's lovely eyes." I sardonically replied.

Vince glared and flicked his hand towards the door. His way of telling me to get out. No problem. I was ready to get the hell out.

* * *

**Later That Night**

I grinned as Ashley continued to laugh her ass off. She had been laughing for a good solid five minutes after I told her my conversation with Vince. I loved hearing her laugh. I loved making her laugh. I wonder if Jordan could make her laugh as easily as I could. I gave a violent shake of my head. I did not need to have those thoughts because I knew I wouldn't like the answer.

"I can't believe you said that!" Ashley exclaimed with one last little giggle.

I chuckled softly. "Isn't that what you girls talk about?"

"Oh my gosh, no! Brad Pitt is so old. It's Channing Tatum now." She teased.

I mentally groaned, trying to think of Brad Pitt's age. He was in his fifties, right? I mean she was teasing but did she really think Brad Pitt was old? And if she thought Pitt was old then was I old to her. I gave myself another violent shake to my head. And who the fuck was Channing Tatum?

"Who is Channing Tatum?" I asked with some disgust.

"I can't believe you don't know who Tatum is! Haven't you ever seen Magic Mike?" She asked in disbelief.

My brows furrowed in confusion. "Magic Mike? Isn't that a movie about a bunch of male strippers?" I asked.

She giggled. "Yes but–" She stopped with another giggle.

"Baby girl, I know you didn't just ask me if I watched a movie about a group of men taking their clothes off. Did I need to remind you that I am a hetero sexual male?" I lowered my voice so it was husky and verging on seductive.

_I really hoped she said yes because I would love to __**show**__ her how hetero I really was. _

She started laughing again. Not the response I wanted. "Why are you laughing?" I asked, mocked anger making my voice come out growly.

"You are so far from a homosexual –"

She cut off when another bout of laughter came bursting out. She was full of giggles and laughter tonight. Another good mood. Was this one because of Jordan too? I decided to ask.

"Have you see Jimmy again?" I asked with a slight sneer.

She was silent for a minute. What did I say?

"His name is Jordan and yes I have. I had a lunch date with him today." Her voice went almost dream-like and I had the sudden urge to snap Jordan's neck. Oh yes I knew his name, I just didn't care.

"Did you have a good time?" I asked through clenched teeth.

Thankfully Ashley didn't notice the clench teeth. "I did. He called about eleven this morning and asked if I could meet him at the park down the street from the hospital where he works. I told him I would. When I got there, he had a blanket spread out with this huge picnic lunch. There were chicken strips with ranch dipping sauce. Carrot sticks with ranch, celery sticks with peanut butter, cheese and crackers, potato salad, grapes, strawberries, a fruit salad with bananas, mangoes, pineapples, and strawberries. He even had a blackberry pie for dessert."

I rolled my eyes. "Sounds like quite the feast." I replied back, my voice on the edge of being sarcastic.

She made a slight mewing sound in agreement. I hated to admit it, but it made me hard. I was pathetic.

"Did you enjoy yourself, Darlin'?" I asked, knowing that was all that mattered.

"I did and the best part was that we got to feed the ducks. He brought a whole loaf of bread just so I could feed them."

I chuckled. "I bet the ducks enjoyed that."

"Yep, they did.. How was your day?"

"Pretty boring all things considered, Baby girl."

My day sucked. All because she had another damn date with someone that I just couldn't compete with.

* * *

**Saturday Morning May 18, 2013 –2:00 A.M. **

"Shhh, I don't wanna wake her."

The three different heads beside me nodded in agreement as I stuck the key in Ashley's foyer door. Ashley had given me the key to both the elevator and the foyer the last time I was here, saying that I was going to need it at some point in time. Especially if we were going to be arriving in the middle of the night. I was happy that she trusted me with a key to her condo and I was very pleased that we were finally here on Extreme Rules weekend. That happiness was short lived.

We stepped into the dark and very quiet condo and I heard the door shut and lock behind me.

"Who the fuck are you?" A loud voice broke the silence and instantly the four of us were tense and ready to fight.

I was not an easily surprised man, but I as looked at the strange man in the middle of Ashley's living room, I stood there gaping like a damn fish. I did not like the idea of a strange man wearing nothing but a pair of slacks, looking comfortable in the middle of my Ashley's condo. And he looked way to fucking comfortable for my sane of mind.

"Who the fuck are you?" Orton barked out, taking a menacing step forward.

Before anything else could be said, Ashley's bedroom door opened and a very sleep rumbled, sexy, drowsy eyed, sexy, beautiful Ashley stepped out wearing only my t-shirt. I knew she had kept it and I didn't mind in the least, but seeing her only in my shirt made want to kick out the other four men in her apartment, forget about Extreme Rules, and show her how 'young' I truly was in stamina and how 'old' I was in experience by making her cum in a dozen different ways –to start with.

She gave me the first blinding smile which I gladly returned. She then smiled at Orton, Cena, and then Jacobs before turning to the strange man in the room. Her next words made me happy and pissed off all at the same time.

"Jordan, what are you doing here?"

_What the hell did she mean by that? _I could feel the blood in my veins start to pump a little faster.

The strange man, Jordan actually flushed a bright tomato red. "I know you told me to go home, but I couldn't leave you." His words were rushed and jumbled together.

"I told you I was fine and that I had friends coming over."

I shook my head in exasperation. She told him to leave and he didn't listen. But why didn't she know that he hadn't left.

"You were hurt –"

"What!?"

He was immediately interrupted by four pissed off wrestlers that were all bigger than him. He startled and took a step back. He now looked a little scared. Good, he should be. He was told to leave and didn't listen. To matters worse, he was with Ashley and she got hurt. I did not like that. My heart rate picked up and my blood pumped faster.

I was getting mad.

I needed to calm down.

I walked towards Ashley with a purpose, watching Jordan as I did so. I could feel Ashley's eyes on me. I turned my head in her direction as I reached her side and took her into my arms. She wound her arms around my neck as I lifted her off the ground. Her warm body against mine, her warm breath caressing my neck, her small arms 'crushing' my neck and just like that I was completely calm once again. But I did want some answers. I kissed Ashley's forehead and gently set her back on her feet. She kissed my cheek in return.

I turned to look at Jordan as Ashley went and gave hugs to Orton, Cena, and Jacobs. Jordan was anything but happy if the look on his face was anything to go by. I didn't give a shit how Jordan felt. I wanted to know how in the hell Ashley got hurt in his fucking presence.

"What happened tonight?" I kept my voice even, but it wasn't void of emotion. Jordan could tell I was upset.

He swallowed a couple of times before finally answering. "We went ice skating –"

Cena interrupted. "Ice skating? In the middle of April?" He was skeptical.

Ashley spoke up. "Uh-huh. There's a rink not far from here." She smiled at Cena and he returned that smile, kissing her forehead.

"Oh okay. Just checking."

I kept the grin off my face. He believed her. Ha ha!

Jordan let out a deep breath of possible annoyance. "Anyway, we were ice skating and Ashley fell –"

Jacobs interrupted this time. "Fell or was she tripped?"

"I fell, Glenn. I wasn't tripped. I'm just not very graceful." Ashley told him, smiling.

He blew a raspberry. "You're very graceful, Sweetheart. I don't believe that."

She stuck her tongue out and he laughed, giving her another hug and kissing the top of her head.

Jordan looked even more furious than he did a minute ago. Well he was going to have to get over it. We were here to stay. He was not. I motioned for him to go on.

"She fell on the ice and hit the back of her head –"

Orton let a string of expletives. "You did take her to the hospital, right?" His eyes narrowed in on Jordan, before checking the back of Ashley's head.

Ashley grunted and pulled away. "He did even though I didn't want to go." She was pouting. She looked fucking adorable.

I was sure Orton melted on the spot as he enfolded her into his arms. "It's a good thing he took you, sweetie." He said, his voice dripping with saccharin but the look he was giving Jordan was anything but sugary.

Jordan's face went deep red and I was betting he didn't like Ashley in Orton's arms. I huffed out a breath because I didn't either, but I also knew that I would rather see her in Orton's arms than Jordan's.

"I am a doctor, but I still took her to the emergency department."

I ignored the part about him being a doctor. I didn't give a shit about him. "And what did _they_ say?" I asked, making sure to emphasize they.

"They said I was fine." Ashley spoke up and I gazed over at her. She was still in Orton's arms, but her back was to his front, he was leaning over with his arms around her waist and his head resting on the top of hers.

"You're sure, baby girl?" I asked, concerned.

She pulled out of Orton's arms and walked into mine. "I'm positive. I don't have an concussion or anything. Just a small bump and a small cut."

I frowned. "Let me see the cut." It was a demand but I kept it soft.

She smiled, rolled her eyes and turned around, lifting her brown curly hair out of the way. It was indeed a small cut with three tiny stitches and a dark ugly bruise surrounding it. Orton, Cena, and Jacobs were waiting for the diagnosis. I nodded slowly. "It's a small cut. Three stitches, small bump,but large purple bruise."

Scowls took over my friends' faces and Ashley rolled her eyes. "I'm fine boys, I promise."

Only Ashley would get away with calling us… boys.

"I told you she was fine." Dr. Know-it-all spoke, sounding a little annoyed.

I turned to look at Jordan, eying him with intent to kill. "If she's fine and if she asked you to go home, then why are you still here?"

He blinked several times. "She had just gone to sleep a little after one and we didn't get out of the emergency department until after midnight. I just wanted to make sure she was okay. I wanted to look after her." He was telling the truth, but I didn't like him undermining Ashley. He should have left when she asked him to.

I nodded. "Well we're here now so you can leave." I told him forcefully, leaving no room for arguments.

"I'll show him out." Orton chimed in.

I smirked at the disgusted look on Jordan's face. He did not like being dismissed. Not my problem.

I pulled Ashley into my arms and then down the hall towards her bedroom.

"Where's Sheamus?" Ashley asked concerned.

"He'll be here Sunday morning. He wasn't able to fly out until then." I replied, continuing on to her room.

"Oh." She looked sad. "What are you doing?" She asked, tugging on my hand.

I chuckled as I gently pushed her back into her bedroom. "You are going back to bed. We can fend for ourselves, baby girl."

She shook her head. "But, but, but –"

I shook mine. "No buts. You just got to sleep. We're still on an adrenaline high and won't be crashing for several hours."

She pouted. How freaking cute is she? "Who is going to fix you all breakfast?" She asked.

I smiled. "Is there ham in there, baby girl?" I asked, knowing the answer.

She nodded, a slight smile making her lips twitch. "Yes and plenty of it."

I laughed. "I thought as much, Darlin'." I replied, kissing her forehead. "Go back to sleep, baby. We'll be here when you wake up."

She turned red and nodded. "I am still tired so I'll go back to bed, but only under one condition."

"What?" Anything for her.

"If I'm not awake when you all decide to crash for the day, don't try and sleep on the dreadful couch. Just come in and crash in my bed. We're both adults and I don't mind. Besides you're too big to be sleeping on the couch."

I mentally groaned. Was she trying to kill me? Probably not. She had no idea what she was doing or saying and she had not a clue how truly big I was. Especially right now. I agreed to her condition, kissed her forehead, and shut the door behind me.

* * *

We were settled around the kitchen table with glasses of sweet tea, ham, homemade bread (she made bread!), and her homemade mayo not ten minutes later. And we found oatmeal raisin cookies. She definitely spoiled us. We loved being spoiled.

"Did you know?" It was a question and an accusation.

I looked up at Orton, my mouth full of ham. "What?" I muttered, trying to keep from spewing food.

"That Ashley was dating that bozo?" Orton's lip was curled in disgust.

I gave a shrug and nodded. "She told me they had a couple of dates." I said indifferently.

Cena wigged on me. "What the hell, Taker!? How come you didn't tell us?"

"Yeah I know. What the fuck? We needed to know about this guy." Jacobs added.

Orton nodded. "I agree. Did you know he was the doctor that saved her life the night she was poisoned?"

"No fucking shit!" Jacobs exclaimed.

"Fuck! No I didn't know that he's that damn doctor."

"What the hell is wrong with you, Calaway?" Jacobs hissed.

Orton nodded. "You have been acting a little weird. What's up with you?"

They were all looking at me suspiciously. I did believe I was totally busted, but I wouldn't let them know it.

"What the hell are you three talking about?" I asked, pretending confusion.

"You really don't care that Ashley is dating some asshole that refuse to leave when she asked him to."

My fingers clenched around my forgotten sandwich. I had completely forgotten about that. "You did warn him about that, right?"

Orton snorted. "You know I did. I told him the next time that Ashley asks him to leave, he had better damn well fucking leave. I thanked him for taking care of Ashley in our absence but told him that until Ashley called him to leave her alone." He smirked.

Cena laughed. "I wish I could have seen his face. He was not happy at all watching Ashley greet us with hugs and kisses. Oh he was furious."

"Serve the ass right. He should have fucking left when Ashley told him too." I growled.

"I don't like the fact that she got hurt while with him. Was he not paying close enough attention to her? He should have been right there." Jacobs replied, shaking his head.

Orton nodded in agreement. "He should have caught her as she fell. I don't like this guy."

"I agree. He's not good enough for our Ashley." Cena stated.

Jacobs popped a punch to my upper arm. "Why didn't you tell us they were dating?"

"I didn't think it was our business." I replied, not believing the words I said. Neither did my friends.

"That's bullshit and you know it." Jacobs called.

I shook my head. "I didn't want her to think we didn't trust her and her choices." Again, it sounded like bullshit to my own ears.

Orton shook his head in doubt. "Yeah that's bullshit too. What's the truth, Calaway?"

Cena laughed and all eyes turned to him. "He's denial, guys." Cena was smug and I was not liking it.

"In denial about what?" Jacobs asked, confused.

"I'm not in denial about anything. Cena's just lost his damn mind." I hissed through clenched teeth, warning Cena with a deadly look.

He wasn't scared. "He doesn't want to admit that he likes Ashley and wants her for himself." Cena prompted.

All eyes widened and mouths dropped.

I snorted and shook my head in more denial. He was way off. I knew I wanted her. I just didn't want to act on it. But they would never figure that out.

Jacobs' eyes narrowed and he chuckled. "You're wrong, you know?"

I returned his look. "About what?"

"You are good enough for her. She's not the type to care about status or age."

Cena and Orton nodded in agreement their faces serious.

I let out a sigh and looked down the hall to make sure Ashley's bedroom door was still shut. I didn't want her overhearing any of this conversation.

"Fine, I have a 'thing' for Ashley, but that little tidbit does not leave the four of us. Ashley is young, vibrate, and beautiful and she needs someone here for her. I'm on the road too much for a true relationship with her. Yes, I don't like the idea of her dating anyone, but I have to deal with that on my own. Ashley and me are only friends and I'm happy with that. Are we clear?"

Three heads nodded in agreement.

Orton grinned. "Can we ask her out?" He grinned.

I growled. "NO!" I barked harshly.

Orton threw his head back and laughed. "Yeah I didn't think so."


	11. Popcorn, Root Beer Floats & Movies Too

**THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU TO DIXIEWINXWRITES12, TAMMY, KAKASHISHOT, TANYA2YOUR21, KEEPER OF OZ, KEPOUROS, JOHNCENAFAN101, & FIRECRACKER FOR YOUR WONDERFUL REVIEWS! THEY JUST WARM MY HEART AND MAKE ME SMILE! **

Disclaimer: Not Mine!

This chapter's quote:

"_When I came to WWE in 2001, I didn't know what to expect from any of the guys, much less Undertaker, a Superstar who was the symbol of WWE. But he was the first guy to come to me and give me some advice on how to go out there and make it through my WWE career, coming from WCW. And when I had to go out and face Undertaker, in that moment, right then and there, I was presented with an opponent different from any other I had ever gone up against until that point. It was overwhelming. Not for one moment did I believe I was going to win that match, but the adrenaline of going one-on-one with him is something I'll remember for the rest of my life."_ –Booker T

Chapter Eleven  
Breakfast, Popcorn, Root Beer Floats & Movies Too

**Saturday May 18, 2013**

She woke up hot. Sweaty hot not horny hot. She also woke up feeling weighed down. She felt as though she was under a ton of bricks with no way out. Heck, it took effect to even open her eyes; that was how weighed down she felt. At first she thought may be a tornado had struck St. Louis while she had been sleeping so soundly and her condo got hit and was now scattered in pieces all around her and on top of her. Upon opening her chocolate brown eyes, she found the real reason for the weighed feeling and she smiled.

She was tucked tight in the arms of Mark. Her head was resting comfortably under his chin; his cheek was resting against the softness of her hair. His arms were completely wrapped around her and one of his long thick legs was thrown over hers. He was only wearing a pair of what looked to be gym shorts and the hair on his leg was tickling her bare ones. She gave a slight wiggle to see if she could get up without waking him and his arms tightened around her. That wasn't going to work.

This was quickly becoming a problem because she really had to pee. She watched Mark for a few minutes but when he didn't show any signs of waking up, she started thinking of a way to get free. Her right hand was resting on Mark's thigh so she immediately had an idea. His gym shorts were in the way but with a little wiggle, her fingertips touched bare skin. She used her fingertips whisper soft across his bare skin, hoping to tickle him. After a few seconds, Mark made a little groaning sound, moved his massive arm from around her and brushed his thigh. She rolled out of his arms and onto the floor in a matter of seconds. She popped back over the bed and breathed a sigh of relief when she saw that he was still sleeping.

She felt a little guilty. She must have accosted Mark in her sleep when he crawled into her bed. She would definitely have to apologize to him later. She just hoped he didn't think she wanted to become a ring rat or anything. She really didn't want to lose him as a friend and attacking him in the middle of the night (or morning) in her bed might just make that happen. She let out a sigh of sadness and went about her business.

She got up, grabbed some clothes to wear and stepped into her bathroom. She took a quick shower and dressed in a pair of short jean shorts and a lavender tank top, pulling her hair back in a ponytail. She took a peek at Mark who was now holding her pillow against his chest, but still sleeping deeply. She kissed his forehead and made her way out of the bedroom.

She picked up her phone on the way to her kitchen. She had the whole weekend off and she was going to use it to her advantage. She was going to spend her weekend off spoiling her boys. Cooking them huge meals and yummy snacks in between was the just the beginning. They were going to need to go on a diet once they left here and she loved that. But before she got started on her breakfast meal, she wanted to call her daddy.

Plopping herself into a kitchen chair, she quick dialed her father.

"Sunshine, what do I owe the pleasure of this call from my beautiful daughter this morning?" He teased with a smile in his voice.

"Can't a daughter call her father for no other reason but she wanted to talk to him?" She asked playfully, teasing him back.

He laughed. "I guess so, Sunshine, but I have a feeling you have a question or two to ask me." He stated surely.

Ashley sighed. "Okay, you got me. I was wondering if you wanted to spend the day with me and the boys." She offered.

Her dad groaned. "I wish I could, Sunshine, but my day is completely packed with work and my crazy ass client." His voice was strained.

Ashley grew serious. "Is everything okay, Daddy?"

He sighed. "This guy is a total pain in the ass, Sunshine. He's just too cocky for his own good and I wish I could shove him in a meat locker."

"I'm sorry, Dad." She truly was. She hated when her dad was stressed. "Is there anything I can do for you?"

"You just have fun with your friends and enjoy yourself. Give them all hell for me."

Ashley laughed at her dad. "I will certainly do that. Are you still coming over Sunday evening to watch Extreme Rules with me?"

"You know I'll be there with my bells on. Especially if you're going to have those yummy barbeque wings you made last month." He required playfully.

She laughed a little harder. "Of course I'm going to make my barbeque wings. Along with a lot of other delicious food to eat."

Her dad moaned. "I always gain at least five pounds on these pay per view events, Sunshine. You know this, right?" He complained, not really upset.

She couldn't help but giggle at that. "A few pounds aren't going to hurt you." She replied back.

He snorted. "I will happily pack on the pounds eating my daughter's wonderful food." That silly comment made Ashley giggle. "Are you making our favorite superstars pack on the pounds as well, Sunshine?" He asked with pretend suspicion.

"I haven't a clue what you're talking about, Daddy." She acted confused.

He laughed. "Uh-huh. Sure you don't, Sunshine. We'll go with that, but I want to know if you're sure you're going to be watching Extreme Rules from your place?"

Now she was really confused. "Why wouldn't I, Dad?"

"You've been such great friends with Mark and the rest of the gang, I thought you might ditch your old dad and go with them and have a front row seat." The tone of his voice was joking, but Ashley could hear the worry in the words.

"Dad, I would never ditch you in a hundred light years. You're my dad and I love you. Besides our dad-daughter pay per view events are a tradition and traditions cannot be broken. It's law." She replied sincerely.

Her father gave a hearty chuckle. "What would I ever do without you, Sunshine? You're the best daughter a dad could ask for." He spoke fondly.

Ashley felt a blush creep up her pale neck and to her cheeks. "Well you raised me so it's all your fault." She teased.

He laughed. "Love you to the moon and beyond, Sunshine."

"Beyond the stars and the planets, Daddy."

"See ya Sunday."

"Bye Daddy."

After hanging up the phone, she immediately got to work. She pulled out the ingredients to make her home made cinnamon rolls with pecans and got those in the oven. She then put on some bacon and sausage links, before whipping up a batch of chocolate chip pancakes. Once the griddle was hot and the first batch of pancakes were cooking, she whipped up some scrambled eggs. With the house smelling like bacon, sausage, chocolate, and cinnamon rolls, it was only a matter of time before the guys started to wake up.

The bacon, sausage, eggs, and pancakes were done and she was pulling the cinnamon rolls out of the oven when Glenn walked into the kitchen, fully dressed in a pair of jeans and a t-shirt.

"Sweetheart, what is the wonderful smell?" He asked, placing a kiss on her cheek and sniffing the air.

She laughed and motioned towards the table. "It's a late breakfast so please take a seat and start eating. There's plenty." She told him.

He gave her a hug and moaned. "You're the best." He said exuberantly, sitting down and filling a plate. Instead of store bought orange juice, she decided to make fresh squeezed orange juice with mangoes. As she started the juice, Randy walked in fresh from a shower in only a pair of sweat pants with water droplets cascading down his chest. She couldn't help but blush when she caught sight of him.

"You saved some for me, right?" He asked, glaring in Glenn's direction.

"I'm working on making all this food disappear so if you want any you had better hurry." He warned Randy.

Randy rolled his eyes, focusing his attention on Ashley. He slung an arm around her shoulders and kissed her temple. "You did all this for me, Honey?"

She shrugged and giggled as his nose touched a sensitive spot behind her ear. "I did it for all of you, so stop that and go eat." She replied with mock authority, giving Randy a slight jab to his lower abdomen.

He laughed, kissed her cheek, and sat down next to Glenn. "This smells absolutely wonderful, Ash."

She gave him a smile as she grabbed a jug of milk from the refrigerator and put it on the table. She went back to her orange juice just as John walked into the kitchen.

"Do I smell cinnamon rolls?" He asked questionably.

Randy nodded. "The best I've ever had." He mumbled around a mouthful of cinnamon roll.

John smacked a loud kiss on Ashley's mouth before seating himself at the table and digging in. Ashley shook her head and laughed. These guys were a crack up. What did she ever do to get so lucky to become friends with some of the hottest superstars WWE has ever produced? She didn't know, but she counted her blessings often.

She had just finished her orange juice, when she saw Mark emerge from her bedroom. He too had just showered and was dressed about the same as Randy, but instead of sweats, Mark was only wearing a pair of gym shorts. She flushed hot at the sight of Mark's bare chest and ducked her head. It was going to be harder to say what she had to say to Mark when he was shirtless, but she had to do what she had to do. There was no way out of it.

She gave him a smile which he returned. "Good morning, baby girl." He replied, wrapping his arms around her, giving her a huge hug.

She knew that right then was the perfect time. She could whisper what she had to say to Mark and keep some of her dignity in front of the rest of her boys. She licked her lips and took a deep breath.

"I wanted to apologize." She spoke softly into his ear.

Mark froze instantly. "For what?" He asked. She was sure he was talking through clench teeth.

"For kind of attacking you while you slept. It was never my intention to wrap myself around you as you were sleeping." She told him gently. She hoped she didn't make him upset or anything.

Mark softened instantly and began to chuckle. It was then her turn to freeze against Mark's hard frame and she went to pull away from him, but Mark stopped her. He kissed the side of her neck and she was sure he just licked her. When he did it again, she knew he licked her. Her body flushed hot and she shivered. Warmth spread up her neck and across her chest, her breathing increased, her nipples pebbled, and she was sure she was wet between her legs. What in the world was happening to her? What was he doing _to her_?

"You didn't attack me in my sleep." He spoke whisper soft into her ear, causing another shiver to race down her spine.

"I didn't?" She squeaked.

He shook his head. "When I climbed into bed with you, I pulled you into my arms and wrapped myself around you." He spoke seductively and Ashley didn't know how to respond.

"Oh?" She squeaked again.

Another chuckle made Mark's large body shake against hers. He dropped his voice down several octave, making his words husky and thick. "But baby, you can wrap that sexy little body of yours around mine anytime." He told her playfully, nipping her ear before pulling back and brushing a kiss across her forehead.

He ignored her stunned look and the guys' knowing ones and started piling his plate high with food. Ashley didn't know what to say so she pretended it didn't happen. She pushed it out of her mind. He had just woken up and he was obviously playful in the morning. She grabbed her orange juice off the counter and took her seat between Mark and Randy. She poured each man a glass of orange juice and Mark immediately grabbed his and drank it down quickly.

"Wow! That is not store bought orange juice, is it?" He asked, looking at Ashley.

She shook her head. "It's fresh squeezed orange juice with a little bit of mango juice added in."

"That is really good, baby girl." He praised her around a mouthful of bacon.

She smiled and refilled his glass. "Thank you."

Breakfast continued without any more surprises for Ashley.

* * *

**Saturday Afternoon **

"Alright boys, I've got our snacks!" Ashley called out with a tray in her hand and a smile on her face.

After eating breakfast, they crowded into the living room and played a few rounds of the board game, Sorry. Two hours later, she announced she was ready to watch a movie and that she would get the snacks. They honestly cheered when she spoke of more food and she laughed. She made their snacks and she couldn't wait to see what they thought.

"What's on the menu, Sweetheart?" Glenn asked, helping her with the tray.

"Three different kinds of popcorn, homemade rocky road cookies, and root beer floats." She replied, handing out the floats.

"What kind of popcorn?" Mark asked as she handed him his float.

"Buttered popcorn, caramel popcorn, and a trail mix kind of popcorn." She replied, walking back into the kitchen to grab the huge bowls of popcorn.

"Trail mix popcorn?" Randy asked skeptically.

Ashley gave him a smile and nodded. "It's lightly buttered popcorn with cashews, M & M's, and butterscotch chips mixed together."

"Oh my god it's so good." John mumbled around a mouthful of trail mix popcorn.

Ashley flashed him a smile. "I know right?"

"What the hell kind of root beer float is this?" Mark exclaimed loudly.

Ashley turned to look at him. "What's wrong with it?" She asked worried.

He shook his head sheepishly. "I'm sorry that came out wrong. It's absolutely delicious. What exactly did you do to it?" He asked, softening his words.

Ashley's body slumped in relief. She was scared there for a minute. "As soon as I get home with the vanilla ice cream, I blend it immediately with root beer. This time I bought a gallon of ice cream so I used an entire two liter of root beer. Then I stick in the freezer. So it's root beer flavored ice cream. When I serve it, I pour in more root beer and add whipped cream. It's the ultimate root beer float."

As her boys slurped on their floats, they nodded in agreement, making moaning sounds. Ashley smiled and held up two DVDs.

"Which one boys?" She asked.

Mark frowned. "Which two are they?"

"Crybaby or Real Steel."

His frown deepened. "Why those two?"

Randy let out a long and heavy sigh. "Uh-hello?! Crybaby for Johnny Depp and Real Steel for Hugh Jackman. Her two favorite men." He replied.

Mark got quiet as he was deep in thought while Ashley corrected Randy. "My two favorite _actors_, Randy. You four along with Sheamus are my favorite men." She winked at him and he laughed.

"My sincerest apologies Honey."

She crinkled her nose in content and shook the movies. "So which will it be?" She asked again.

"Which one do _you_ want, baby girl?" Mark's question packed full of more meaning than Ashley knew.

She smiled. "Crybaby." She answered.

Mark nodded slowly, still in thought.

"Ashley, is this popcorn out of a bag?" John asked, chomping on some caramel popcorn.

Popping the movie in, Ashley shook her head. "I made all the popcorn from scratch."

"I thought so." John replied, chomping on some more. "It's sooo good." He mumbled around more popcorn.

Ashley grinned and sat down between Mark and Glenn. Mark instantly pulled her more solidly against him and Ashley snuggled against him.

The movie began to play and Ashley fell asleep on Mark soon after. With the help of Glenn, they moved her so her head was resting on his thigh and her feet were in Glenn's lap. When the movie was over, Ashley came to and grinned when she noticed where she was at. She sat up and smiled at Mark.

"Thank you for letting me use you as a pillow." She told him.

Mark winked. "You can use me anytime." He replied back seductively.

Ashley blushed and got up. "It's just about time for dinner, boys. Is spaghetti okay?" She asked. It was a simple meal, but she made it her own.

John laughed. "I think anything you make us will be perfect, Sweetie. You're incredible chef."

She bit down on her lower lip and blushed. "Thank you, John."

He nodded in reply and she went to pop in another movie.

"What are you doing, baby girl?" Mark asked.

"I'm putting in a movie for you guys while I fix dinner."

"What movie?"

"It's called No Country For Old Men."

"I like that movie." Glenn stated as the others agreed.

Ashley smiled. "Good. I just have to run to the store."

"Why?" Mark asked, rapidly on guard.

Ashley frowned. "I just forgot that I don't have a certain ingredient for my spaghetti." She told him, leaving out what ingredient it was. They wouldn't believe her anyway.

"You want me to go with you?" Mark asked.

She shook her head. "I'll be fine. I won't be but a few minutes."

She gave each one of them a kiss on the cheek before she reached Mark. Mark grasped her tank top and pulled her down closer to him and handed her a set of keys.

"Take my rental truck." He told her softly.

Ashley shook her head, refusing to take the keys. "No I couldn't. I would much rather take my little car. I'll be okay. I promise."

Mark frowned. "Are you sure?" He just didn't want her to leave by herself. He just had a bad feeling he couldn't explain.

Ashley nodded. "I'm positive. I have my phone and I have your number if I need anything."

He pulled her down a little more. "Please be careful, baby girl."

She smiled. "I will. Always."

Mark slowly and reluctantly nodded. She kissed his cheek and pulled away from his firm grip but only because Mark allowed it. If he hadn't wanted to release her, he wouldn't have.

She slipped into a pair of flip flops, waved good bye to her boys and was out the door.


	12. Three Shots

**THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU TO DIXIEWINXWRITES12, KEEPER OF OZ, KAKASHISHOT, TAMMY, LILYWHITE25, & FIRECRACKER FOR YOUR WONDERFUL REVIEWS! YOU GUYS ARE TRULY THE BEST!**

Disclaimer: Not Mine.. I am only playing!

This Chapter's quote:

"_The first time I ever came across Undertaker, I was in the ring for a tryout. He was watching my every move and the whole time I was just thinking, 'What is he thinking? Does he think I'm terrible? Does he think I'm good?' I was on the road with him a lot when I first debuted, and that was the best education one can ask for in WWE. He ended my undefeated streak, if you recall. I wrestled him right before he faced Shawn Michaels at __**Wrestlemania**__ in 2010, and he was in full '__**Mania**__ mode, which is as dangerous an Undertaker as you're going to find. I put up a decent offense, but he caught me in the end. But it was a learning experience just being in the ring with him."_ –Drew McIntyre

Chapter Twelve  
Three Shots

As soon as they heard the elevator descend, they bombarded me with questions. I should have known that was their intention, but the hard on in my pants was making it difficult for me to think clearly. I wanted to blame it on Ashley, but I knew it wasn't really her fault. I had made the decision to be friends and not pursue anything more than that and I was the one that went back on that so called decision. Now I had my friends to answer to.

"What the hell was that, Taker?" Orton immediately jumped my ass.

"What the hell was what, Orton?" I replied, playing dumb. Or was I? He could be referring to several different things. I resisted the urge to smirk. Barely.

Orton rolled his eyes. "Oh come on, Calaway! I'm talking about that little scene in the kitchen. What the hell was that about?" Orton's voice was rising slowly.

"I agree with Orton. I don't know what you two were talking about, but I did see that you licked her. You licked her the day after you claimed you only wanted to be friends. That's a bunch of bullshit, Brother." Jacobs joined in, just as upset as Orton.

_And he called me brother. Fuck, he's serious. And pissed. _

I shook my head and took a deep breath. "It's none of your business." I hissed.

Orton shot to his feet. "Fuck that shit!" He spat. "You know if this was any other chick, we wouldn't give a flying fuck."

"But this is Ashley we're talking about, Calaway and she's done everything in her power to do for us and she hasn't asked for anything in return except for our friendship." Cena added, just as pissed as Orton.

"You're just messing with her head, Mark. She's too damn innocent for you to fuck her and forget her. She's not a ring rat." Jacobs stated calmly.

_Jacobs was fuming. I could almost see the steam coming out of his ears. _

I stood up slowly. "Back the fuck off. I am not going to fuck her. I know she's not a damn ring rat. You all are starting to piss me off so lay the hell off!" I hissed at my three friends.

Now we all were standing and we were all pissed the fuck off. I didn't understand why these three were climbing down my throat. I gave them no reason for this.

"No! We will not back the fuck off, Mark. Why are you teasing her?" Orton asked, taking a few menacing steps towards me.

"I am not teasing Ashley. I gave her a hug."

Cena cocked his head at me; he looked to be deep in thought. "We all gave her hugs, but you two had a very private conversation. What was that conversation about?"

I snorted. "None of your damn business."

I still couldn't believe she apologized to me this morning or that she honestly thought she 'attacked' me while we were sleeping. When she offered me her bed, I wasn't sure if I could do it. Crawl in a bed with her vulnerable, half-naked and fully asleep and not take advantage of the situation; I wasn't sure I could do it. But something told me I had to and once I did, I had to have her in my arms. When I pulled her into my arms, she didn't even murmur a word or stir at all. In fact, she cuddled deeper against me and made this mewing sound in her sleep. It was sexy as hell. It was almost as if she was meant to be in my arms. Hell, she fit perfectly in my arms; against me. It was something that I knew I had to have repeated; I had to have her in my arms again.

Maybe…

"It is our business if you hurt her." Cena replied.

I growled. "I'm not going to hurt her." I roared.

"I don't believe it. You're speaking of one thing and then doing something completely different. That's so not you! I think you're going to end up hurting her and then I'm going to have to kick your fucking ass." Orton threatened and Jacobs and Cena were nodding in agreement.

I didn't like the thought of my friends threatening me and now I had three of them doing exactly that. I didn't like being threatened. Especially about this where they absolutely had no fucking right.

"Fuck off, Orton! I think the only reason why you're throwing such a damned fit is because you want her for yourself." I tossed in his face. I didn't give a shit whether or not it was true.

Orton shook his head. "You are so full of shit. She's my friend just as she is yours, but I know that she's not for me because she isn't some ring rat that I can fuck for a night or two and then dump her."

I got up in his face. "Then how in the hell did you know who her favorite actors were, Orton? What else do you know about her that I don't? How the hell do you know all this?" I was getting pissed.

Orton pushed me, but I didn't budge. "I knew because we've talked, you dumb shit. That's what friends do. Is this why you're so upset? Because you think I'm trying to take her from you." He calmed his tone of his voice and took a step back.

I snorted in derisive. "That's a bunch of bullshit. I don't want her like that." I threw out.

Great! Now I was lying to myself.

Jacobs smirked and gave a knowing nod. "Tell me _Brother_, how old is Johnny Depp?" He asked with a smile.

"Forty-nine." I answered before thinking. "Shit."

They all three laughed.

"For not wanting her, you answered that question awfully damn quick." He replied back in between laughter.

I'll admit that as soon as Ashley said that her two favorite actors were Hugh Jackman and Johnny Depp, my mind instantly went their ages. When she picked Crybaby as being her favorite, I pulled out my phone and checked his age. And I got caught. Oh well. I wanted to know how Ashley truly felt about the two older men and I continued to wonder if I honestly had a shot with the young, beautiful, sexy little chef. But I knew I wouldn't really do anything. She was still too young and besides she was dating Jordan.

_Like that would stop me._

"Fuck you." I responded.

That sent all three of my former friends into huge fits of laughter.

"That's all you've got, Calaway." Jacobs teased.

Orton held up in his hands in surrender. "Oooo, I'm scared." Orton mocked.

Cena just laughed harder.

Before I could respond, my phone went off and it was Ashley's ring tone.

_Yes, I gave her, her own ring tone. That way I knew not to ignore her phone calls. _

I stepped back from Orton, Cena, and Jacobs and answered my phone.

"Hey baby girl. You okay?"

"Mark?" She sounded super scared and upset.

"Ashley, what's wrong?" I asked instantly on alert. Jacobs, Cena, and Orton were also on alert and tense as hell.

She was breathing heavily and I could hear men's voices in the background. A lot of them. "Mark, can you please come pick me up. I would call my dad, but he's working and I don't want to bother him. He's just been sup –"

She was rambling so I interrupted her. "Baby girl, where are you?"

"Right down the road. I told the EMTs that I would walk home, but they said I shouldn't be driving in my condition. I mean I'm fine so I don –"

More rambling and she wasn't making any sense. "I'm on my way now. What happened?"

"I was shot at."

* * *

"Is she okay?"

"Are you sure she should be cooking?"

"What the fuck happened?"

I motioned for them to shut up and sit down. I was still reeling from all the information and the fact that Ashley had been fucking shot at. I saw the bullet holes. Jesus fucking Christ, she came so fucking close to dying today. Dying by a bullet in her pretty little head. I slammed my eyes shut and willed back the vomit that threatened to spill. Instead I focused on the questions that my friends and Ashley's were asking me.

"I think right now she's still in shock. I think she needs to be cooking. I think it's her safe haven." I replied.

"What happened, Mark?" Jacobs asked forcefully.

I took a deep breath. "The officer I talk to stated that she was driving back from the store when Ashley said she dropped something on the floor boards, bent over to pick it up and she felt something whizzed past over her head. She looked up and saw the bullet hole in her window and she swerved as she went into shock and another bullet entered the back seat driver's side window. About that time she was more focused on the bullet holes and where they were coming from and she slammed into another car. The third bullet entered through the back glass."

I could see the horror on my friends' faces. Their bodies were tensed tight with anger, their breathing was harsh, and their fists were clenching. They were ready for a fight. I looked down at my own fists and noticed they too were clenched tight. I was beyond pissed and I was terrified. She came so damn close to dying by a bullet.

"They were sure it was just some asshole of a teenager playing pranks until I told them what Ashley's been through these last couple of months. Then they began to take it more seriously. They started to canvas the neighborhoods but by then whoever did it was long gone."

Randy cursed. "I don't like this shit."

Cena nodded in agreement. "I don't either. He was too close."

"What the fuck are we gonna do? We're just wrestlers. Not cops." Jacobs, the voice of reason.

"We can't let anything happen to her, Calaway." Orton sounded almost in a panic.

_I should be the one that was panicking. Maybe that's what the painful feeling in my chest was._

"Maybe she can go on the road with us." Cena offered an idea.

I frowned. "She's never going to agree to that. She loves her job and the restaurant."

"What the fuck is wrong with you, Calaway? You acting like you just don't give a shit what happens to her?" Jacobs hissed under his breath.

Red blurred in my vision and I grabbed his shirt and yanked him up and against me. "Don't!" I warned. I took a deep breath. "I'm trying with every inch of me to stay in control and not break everything in sight." I susurrated through clenched teeth. "You were not the one that saw her fucking vehicle. You weren't the one that saw Ashley huddled into herself on the sidewalk shaking so hard her teeth were rattling inside her mouth. You're not the one that feels like you just had your guts ripped out with a dull rusty spoon and shoved down your fucking throat. So cut me some fucking slack."

I gave him a jerk and let him go and he fell back against Ashley's sofa. I stood there in front of him, waiting for him to do what, I wasn't entirely sure. But at that moment I was ready for anything; I was itching for a fight.

Cena stood up and placed a hand on my shoulder. "Go to her."

I jerked my head to look at him. "What?" I sneered.

With his head, he motioned towards the kitchen and Ashley. "Go to her. Hold her. That's what you need right now. To hold her, to make sure she's okay."

I swallowed hard and gave him a 'what the fuck' look.

He shook his head. "I was married once, Mark. I know the feeling that's coursing through your veins right now. We all like her and hell; we probably love her in some form or another, but the feelings you've got for her run much deeper than that. We get that." He motioned towards the kitchen once again. "So go hold her, feel her against you, and listen to her breath. I promise it will make you feel better." He told me reassuringly.

I nodded and we did a manly handshake/ hug thing. I apologized to Jacobs and headed towards the kitchen. Was Cena right? Did the feelings I have for Ashley run deeper than I had originally thought. In the short time I've known her; she's wrapped herself around my little finger and my heart as well. Her cooking was her safe haven, but I did believe that she was mine.

I hated it, but I knew what I needed to do.

"Baby girl, it smells delicious in here." I replied with a soft smile.

She returned the smile and nodded. "It's my spaghetti sauce." She told me.

I leaned down and whispered softly in her ear. "Put down the spoon."

She nodded gently and placed the spoon on the spoon rest and turned to face me. I studied her face intensely. She had a soft smile on her face, but her beautiful brown eyes were haunted and held fear. Fear for her life was my guess. I was fearful for her. She hadn't cried yet and I wondered if she would eventually. I took her in my arms, one arm firmly around her waist while my hand on the other arm fisted in her hair, crushing her head and face against the middle of my chest. I held my breath and waited for hers. When I felt her relax against me as she wrapped her arms around my waist, I released the breath I had been holding and squeezed her tight. I matched my breathing with hers and within seconds, I felt like everything was okay. I was still furious that some asshole tried to kill this precious woman, but I now had this anger under control. Cena was right and I knew what I needed to do was what I had to do.

"Dinner is ready." Ashley replied, her voice muffled against my chest.

I chuckled and let her go. She eased out of my arms and started putting things together. As she did that, I called the guys into the kitchen and within minutes we were sitting at her kitchen table with plates piled high with homemade spaghetti and garlic bread and sweet tea. We were all quiet, unsure of what to say to Ashley. None of us wanted to make her upset and we definitely didn't want to see her cry.

Halfway through dinner, Orton picked something off his plate and frowned. "Is this a … pickle?" He asked in utter horror.

Ashley giggled and nodded. "It is."

His lip curled. "You put a pickle in my spaghetti?" He was perturbed.

She giggled again. "I put dill pickles in the spaghetti." She stated with a grin.

I looked down at my own plate and smiled. It was full of small green things that I now knew as dill pickles. I ate another spoonful and moaned. It was really good. You honestly couldn't taste the pickles.

"What made you decide to put pickles in spaghetti?" I asked, trying hard not to laugh at Orton's face. Jacobs and Cena were still eating like they didn't hear the secret ingredient.

She shrugged. "I'm not sure how it came about. My Gran says I was very young when I told her I wanted dill pickles in my spaghetti. She was horrified just as Randy is right now, but she told me we would and everyone just loved it. That's the way we always fix it now."

Randy took another small bite, acting as if it was going to bite him first and Ashley giggled at the sight. He chewed thoughtfully. "You really can't taste the pickles unless you bite into one, but it's not a strong dill flavor. It's just …there."

He was still a little stunned.

Cena chuckled. "How do you fix it, Sweetie?" He asked, taking another bite.

"Well… you fix your sauce separately. Then you brown your hamburger and once that's done, you add your hamburger to your sauce and then you add the pickles. I always cut my pickles up in small pieces so that way if you do bite into one, it doesn't quite shock ya. That's it." She finished, giving a slight shrug.

Orton began to dig in again with gusto and Ashley laughed. "You like it, Randy?" She asked him impishly.

He moaned and nodded. "It's really good." He muttered around a mouthful of spaghetti. "I don't even care if it's got pickles." He added. Ashley laughed as it sounded more like, 'I 'on't 'ven 're if if's 'ot 'ickles'.

We finished the rest of our meal in comfortable silence with nothing but the sounds of us eating filling the room. Ashley tried to keep the smile on her face, but anyone could see that her eyes were haunted and she was tense and rigid in her chair.

"Who wants dessert?" She asked in a soft sing-song voice as she stood up.

We all spoke up when she said dessert. Who wouldn't want Ashley's dessert?

"What is it?" Jacobs asked, trying to see what she was pulling out of the refrigerator.

"I have chocolate cream pie, banana cream pie, and coconut cream pie." She called back.

We all groaned.

"About a small piece of each?" Ashley offered.

Orton snorted. "About a big piece of each." He replied back in a mocking tone.

We all agreed to that.

Ashley laughed and one by one brought us a plate with three huge slices of pie. She brought a plate for herself that held a small piece of chocolate cream pie. She was definitely not a big eater and she most certainly didn't have a wrestler's appetite. The pies were delicious and before we left the kitchen all three pies were gone. Ashley just laughed and shook her head, but I could tell she just honestly wasn't herself.

We headed towards the living room and Orton popped in Real Steel. I sat down and pulled Ashley into my lap. She tried to wiggle away and I held her firmly.

"Stop. Just relax." I ordered.

She let out a sigh but agreed. The movie started and almost instantly Ashley went limp against me. She was out for the count. Just as I knew she would.

"She finally out?" Cena whispered.

I nodded. "She's out. Why?"

"Have you invited her to Extreme Rules yet?" Cena replied back in answer, still whispering.

I shook my head. "No, but I was planning on it. Why?" I asked suspiciously.

"She won't go." Jacobs spoke up, sure in his answer.

My eyes narrowed in annoyance. "Why the hell not?" I asked, careful to keep my voice low.

"I heard her on the phone with her dad this morning. It's a tradition they have. Apparently they spend every pay per view event together, watching it on television and pigging out on Ashley's good food." He answered.

I shrugged nonchalantly. "I'll just make sure she knows her dad is invited as well. I want her there at Extreme Rules. I won't accept any answer but 'yes I would love to come, Mark. You're the best ever.' And I know she will." I smiled as I tightened my grip around her.

"I can't wait to introduce her to Bryan." Jacobs replied, excitement lining his voice.

I nodded in agreement. "I know Michaels is going to be there and I know she would love to meet him and Bret Hart."

"I love Bret Hart." Ashley's soft, sleepy voice shocked us all and made as jump. She giggled softly, buried her face in chest and went back to sleep.

We laughed and went back to watching the movie. Once it was over, I said good night to the guys and carried Ashley into her bedroom. She stirred against me and I kissed her forehead.

"You wanna go change into something to sleep in?" I asked her softly.

She nodded and I set her on her feet. I had put on a pair of jeans and a t-shirt earlier when I left to get Ashley so I quickly changed back into the gym shorts I had started out wearing. Ashley came out of the bathroom wearing a very large night shirt with care bears dancing on the front of it. It made me smile. We climbed into bed together and I pulled her against me. She rested her head on my bicep, facing me as my arm curled around her. My other arm wrapped around her waist and I threw a long leg over hers.

"You okay?" I asked, concerned.

She shrugged her shoulders and then shook her head.

"What's wrong?" Already knowing what was coming.

She sighed. "Someone shot at me today, Mark. And you know what's bothering me the most?" She asked.

I shook my head. "What?"

"I don't know why anyone would want me dead so bad they tried three times." She muttered softly before burying her face deeper against me and started crying. I held her to me, running a hand through her hair and whispered soft words of comfort until she finally fell asleep.

I didn't know who wanted her dead either, but I would do anything and everything I could to find out why and then I would bury them alive.

Three shots was all it took, but it helped make my decision. I would keep Ashley close, watch over her, and be her friend. But that was all it could be. My feelings for her were too much for me to handle. I couldn't deal with flying off the handle every time Ashley was threatened or hurt. So I would have to be satisfied to be her friend.

Whether I liked it or not.

* * *

Author's Note: Spaghetti with dill pickles... is delicious! Trust me! Most everyone uses store bought sauce so here's what ya do if you want to try it and I fully recommended it. Brown your hamburger until fully cooked and then drain the grease off. Before hand, already have your pickles cut up into small pieces. I say small pieces so that way its less noticeably. Once you've drained your hamburger, put the pickles in and cook for about two or three minutes before adding your sauce. With the sauce cook for another 5-10 minutes. That's it. I don't know what it is but it is really good! Dill pickles... hamburger chips, spears, or whole pickles..doesn't matter because you're cutting them up! Enjoy!


	13. Extreme Rules Madness

**THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU TO KEEPER OF OZ, JODIOK, KAKASHISHOT, THESILENTARTIST2225, FIRECRACKER, TAMMY, AGNESS MADNESS, & TANYA2BYOUR21 FOR YOUR REVIEWS! JUST LOVE LOVE LOVE THEM! I HAVE THE BEST READERS! **

Disclaimer: Not mine! WWE and all of its brand is not mine. I do not own or know Calaway, Orton, Jacobs, Cena, Bryan, or any of the other Wrestlers in this story. I am just playing and I will put them back, unharmed.

Author's Note: I have changed the pay per view event Extreme Rules just a bit. Not a big deal.. Honest!

This chapter's quote:

_"During my first time in WWE, he was pretty much in my face every night, just making me better. I came back from matches and tried to go to the side because I knew he'd be waiting for me, but no matter which way I went out, he'd magically appear! He'd sit me down and chew me out for about 15 or 20 minutes every night. And God bless him, he made me so much better. There are so many things he's taught me, but one of the best things I learned was in-ring cardio. I'm not talking in-ring shape, like having abs and baby oil and posing like a dancer at a bachelorette party. I'm talking about being a big man and having the energy to go when you need to. His thing is to be in shape so you're not making mistakes. And, since I went away and got in-ring shape, my whole career's been different. I used to be worried about being 500 pounds and being big. Now, I'm in ring-shape and can go 35, 40 minutes straight. I think Undertaker staying on top of me made a huge impact on my career."_ –Big Show

Chapter Thirteen  
Extreme Rules Madness

**Sunday May 19, 2013**

She woke up the same way she did yesterday. Hot as hades and under Mark's large strong frame. She had slept so soundly last night that she was a little surprised. She was sure she was going to have nightmares, but apparently sleeping with Mark was almost like a sleep aid. She just hoped she was able to sleep after he left and had to go back on the road. She was sad to see him and her other boys leave, but with Extreme Rules tonight, she knew they had to get on with their lives and their careers. She was super excited about Extreme Rules tonight.

Mark along with Team Hell No would go against the Shield and she had no doubts whatsoever that they would win this time. She just knew it. She could feel it to her bones. Randy was facing the Big Show and she honestly hoped that Randy kicked the Show's butt. She didn't like the egotistical big man. Then John was in a match with Ryback that was a last man standing match. She wasn't so sure about that since she knew John was having problems with Achilles' heel. She didn't want anything to happen to John. She also hoped he kept his mind on his match and away from any and all girls. Well one in particular that is. The poor man was in love, he just didn't know yet. She giggled softly and Mark's arm tightened around her. She patted his arm and her thoughts drifted back to Extreme Rules and his upcoming match. The Shield were cheaters through and through and did anything necessary to win their match. They had better hope that Mark walked out of that arena the same way he walked in. Or she would kick some serious Shield butt.

She had honestly thought after being shot at yesterday the pay per view event Extreme Rules would be far from her mind. She let out a long sigh at that sullen thought. Why would anyone want to kill her? Not only did they want to kill her, but the desire to see her dead was so strong that after failing twice, they tried for a third time. Would they try again since they failed? And if they did try again, what would they try next? They tried blunt force trauma (a police term), poisoning, and now they tried to shoot her. She shivered in fear. She was now happy for spending the extra cash on her security safe condo. But she still needed to go to work, but she was sure she was safe there too because her friends and co-workers were still being slightly over protective.

She decided to quit thinking about something that she had no control over and focus on getting up and cooking breakfast. This morning she was fixing French toast with fresh berries and whipped cream. She even had some powdered sugar if the guys wanted some. She loved her French toast because she didn't use regular bread. She used homemade cinnamon swirl bread that she made herself. She was sure her boys would just love her French toast. She would also make omelets just in case the toast wasn't quite enough.

But first, she needed to get up without waking Mark. She wiggled her body down ward and almost gasped in surprise when she was actually able to wiggle downward until she slipped off the bed and onto the floor. His leg wasn't quite as tight over hers this morning as it had been yesterday morning and his grip wasn't as tight either. She stood up and cocked her head as she watched Mark Calaway sleep. He was so peaceful in his sleep. His face was relaxed and almost vulnerable. He looked much younger in his sleep. She would almost think he was as young as she was.

She didn't really care about his age, but he seemed the type to care about age and besides why would he want her when he could have a much more sophisticated woman who actually moved in his circles. She was just a young insecure chef. Mark would probably never think twice about 'dating' her. He was one of those types that when he 'dated', he was in a sexual relationship with that person, probably from the start. She knew every man these days wanted a sexual 'dating' relationship, but she wasn't so sure she could live up to Mark's standards. He was probably off the charts in the bedroom area where she was probably more like a seven. Hey, she wasn't a complete moron in the sack. She knew she was doing. Although she had only done it a handful of times with her ex-boyfriend. What she did know, she liked. They had been together for over a year before they decided to move on to the next step… sex. He was all about missionary position so sometimes it was boring, but it did feel good.

Not that any of that really matter because, Mark was definitely out of her league in more ways than one. Jordan was more her style, more her comfort level. He was a successful emergency doctor, but he would understand that she wouldn't just jump into bed with him. She knew Mark would understand too, but she couldn't make a man like Mark sustain from sex just because she wasn't ready. It wasn't fair for a sexual man like Mark to have to curb his desires for her.

She snorted and shook her head. She was losing her mind. Who ever said Mark would even want her like that. Okay, so he got a little playful in the kitchen yesterday morning, but weren't all men horny in the morning. She knew that was reason why he had kissed her on the neck. He hadn't licked her, he kissed her. It just felt wet. Horny male in the morning equaled playful Mark in her kitchen. It was perfectly normal. Yes it made it hard to breathe, it made her nipples hard, and it made her wet places she forgot she had, but he was only playing. She needed to remember that.

In fact, she needed to call Jordan. Her boys would be leaving early tomorrow morning so they could get to Kansas City, Missouri in plenty of time and the rest of her week would be nothing but work, work, and more work. So maybe she could entice Jordan to a home cooked meal or something. He was so nice to her when she fell and bumped her head. Okay, she didn't like the fact that he didn't leave when she told him to, but men were stubborn and hard headed. She would have to talk with him to make sure he never did it again and all would be okay.

Mark was her friend and she didn't want to lose that for anything.

After taking a shower and dressing in a pair of low rider blue jeans and a WWE t-shirt. Her dad always bought them new WWE t-shirts right before a pay per view event. Sometimes it had to do with the event in question and other times, it was just a regular WWE t-shirt. Slipping into her favorite Old Navy purple flip flops, she grabbed her cell phone and headed towards the kitchen. She poured her a glass of orange juice and dialed Jordan's phone number.

"Ashley?"

She frowned. He seemed surprised. She wondered why. "Hey Jordan! Yeah it's me. How are you?" She tried to sound upbeat, but it was hard. Why was this so hard?

"I'm good. It's nice to hear from you. I wasn't so sure I would."

Her frown deepened. "Why is that?"

"Well after the Friday night, I wasn't quite sure…" He trailed off, waiting for Ashley to let him know that he was in the clear.

"Yeah, I had thought you left, Jordan, because I told you to leave. I'm not happy that you didn't leave when I asked you too, but I'm not mad either."

She heard a sigh of what she thought was relief and she smiled. Jordan really did like her. That made her feel a lot better. "I'm really sorry about that, Ashley. I was just worried about you. I mean you got hurt while you with me and I couldn't do anything for you." He replied with concern.

"I'm fine Jordan, I promise. Accidents do happen."

Jordan gave a little snort. "Your friends had thought I practically killed you." He said with utter irritation.

Ashley giggled. "You caught them by complete surprise, Jordan. They weren't expecting you and my boys are very protective of me."

He was silent for a few seconds.

"Your boys?" He questioned as if in disgust.

She didn't like the way he said that and it made her a little mad and she got defensive. "Yes. My boys because I've kind of adopted them. They're my friends, Jordan and if you can't handle that then we can't date."

He didn't like it. She could tell by the silence that greeted her, but he could just get over it. They didn't ask anything of her, they just wanted to be her friend just as she wanted to be theirs.

"I can accept that." He finally replied. Although Ashley was having a hard time believing it.

She plastered a smile on her face and asked her question. "I was wondering if you would like to come to dinner on your next day off. Hopefully sometime this week."

Now he sounded a lot happier. "I would love to come to dinner. I'm off on Thursday and lucky me, I'm not on call either. How does that night sound?"

"That sounds great." She replied, knowing she could probably ask Jason for that night off or trade shifts with someone else, Antonio probably.

"This means a lot Ash. I can't wait until Thursday." He stated eagerly.

She said goodbye and hung up the phone. She knew she was doing the right thing but why did she feel so damn miserable about it. She didn't really understand but she shook herself out of it and focused on her making her boys breakfast.

* * *

An hour later everyone was seated around the kitchen table eating French toast and omelets and drinking orange juice. She was enjoying her last meal with her boys and their easy going conversations as well, but she was a little miserable as well. Once Extreme Rules were over, they would be heading to Kansas City and she wasn't sure when she would get to see them again. If she did, that is. She didn't even get to Sheamus this weekend either. He had called Mark earlier that morning to let them know that by the time he arrived, he wouldn't have time to stop by and see Ashley. She was disappointed, but she knew he couldn't help it. However, right now she was having a hard time concentrating on anything but their well sculpted chests. She was barely able to utter a word as they came out of the bedrooms and into the kitchens this morning in nothing but gym shorts. She didn't completely understand their state of dress, but she was by no means complaining. Her stomach was protesting because she was forgetting to eat. Who wouldn't forget to eat when they had the view she had?

"Ashley, you're thinking awfully hard over there." Glenn commented with a smile on his face and in his voice.

She blushed bright red and shoved a forkful of omelet into her mouth. Which made them all laugh and made Glenn whistle.

"Her mind is evidently in the gutter. I would pay big money to know what she's thinking right now." Glenn continued to tease her.

She stuck her tongue out at Glenn and stood up, grabbing her half eaten plate of food as she went. "No need to pay anything, Mr. Jacobs. I'm thinking that the sight of all your very masculine and manly chests, I'm having difficulty concentrating on eating."

Mark frowned while the others laughed, but Randy was the one who responded. "Sweetheart, we're dressed like this for a reason and it's all your fault."

Her mouth dropped open in surprise and she stopped in mid reach of Mark's empty plate. "How is it my fault, Mr. Orton?"

She grabbed Mark's plate and reached for John's. He handed it to her and smiled. "You've been feeding us such great meals that we've all gained weight and we haven't worked out since we've been here. We're dressed like this because once we finish eating and packing, we'll be heading to the gym until Extreme Rules."

She frowned and turned towards the sink as tears welled up. Glenn saw and was immediately on his feet and had her in his arms. "Hey, don't cry sweetie. You'll make all of us cry and trust me; the last thing you wanna see is a bunch of big ass wrestlers crying like a bunch of over-grown babies." Glenn teased playfully making Ashley giggle.

Mark pulled her out of Glenn's arms roughly, surprising Ashley and Glenn. Ashley missed the glare Mark sent Glenn, making him laugh. Ashley gave a slight shudder at the feel of Mark's bare skin against her cheek and wrapped her arms around him. He returned the favor.

"We'll be back, baby girl. After all we need to pick you up." He told her, giving her a little squeeze.

She looked up at him in surprise. "What?" Her brows furrowed in confusion.

She made them all laugh once again. "You didn't really think that we would leave you here to watch Extreme Rules, did you?" John asked, standing up to join the three standing.

She shook her head. "I didn't really think about it at all. I appreciate it, I do, but I can't—"

Randy held a hand up to silence her, standing up he joined them as well. "We want your dad to come too, Sweetheart. In fact, we insist upon it."

Her mouth dropped once again. "Really?"

"Yes!" They all replied in unison.

She smiled softly before letting out a squeal of surprise and excitement. The guys covered their ears and winced. Ashley gave each one of them a hug, dancing around the room in such delight that she wasn't sure what to do with herself. She had never imagined she would be going to Extreme Rules or any pay per view event for that matter. She suddenly stopped her dancing and came to a stop, looking like she had just seen a ghost.

"What?" Mark asked, suddenly worried.

Ashley put a smile on her face and shook her head. "You guys need to get going because I have a lot of work to do."

They all looked at her confusion. "What work?" John asked suspiciously.

She feigned innocence. "Just work. In fact, I'll wash your clothes and pack your stuff. You guys just head to the gym and I'll see you in a few hours."

They were all eying her now in suspicion. But with a few more words of pretend innocence, Ashley got them out the door. They didn't like the idea of her doing their laundry but she insisted. After all, they couldn't get back on the road with a bunch of dirty smelly clothes. So once she was absolutely sure they were gone, she went to work. She gathered up Mark's clothes first and carried them to the laundry room in the back of her apartment. She smiled when she encountered Mark's black hoodie and before she could stop herself, she put it aside.

She finished putting Mark's laundry in the washing machine before gathering Randy's, John's and Glenn's. She put it in nice little piles next to the laundry room before heading back into her kitchen. She had already set out her chicken breasts for the boneless barbeque chicken, but now she needed more chicken and well… she needed more food. Period. She had a lot of work to do, but first she needed to call her dad.

* * *

By the time her boys were done at the local gym, she had completely finished everything that needed to be done. Their laundry was washed, dried, folded and packed. Their care packages were complete and packed with their belongings. They wouldn't even see the packages until they were at their next destination, but she was sure they were going to love them. She made double chocolate chunk cookies, caramel pecan brownies, trail mix popcorn, and a regular trail mix of peanuts, cashews, M & M's, butterscotch chips, white chocolate chips, peanut butter chips, chocolate chips, and raisins. She also put in a bottle of water and a bottle of Gatorade with two bags of fun size chips. She then added a Ziploc baggie with miniature candy bars. She was going to make sure her boys missed her.

Her dad had just arrived and they were dressed and ready, just waiting. Her dad, however excited for Extreme Rules was not happy with her. She didn't know what to say to her dad for he didn't get angry often. Especially not with her.

"Dad, I said I was sorry." She truly didn't know what else to say.

He paced back and forth in her living room. She could feel the anger coming at her in waves. "You didn't call me, Ashley. You didn't call me to let me know that you were shot at and you didn't call me to let me know that you were okay." He seethed, stopping to look at her. "You didn't call me. I'm your God damned father and you didn't fucking call me." He shouted at her and she flinched.

"I just didn't think –"

"You damned right you didn't fucking think, Ashley! I had to hear from a cop that my _daughter_ was shot at driving home from the damned grocery store." He threw up his hands and stalked away from her. "And you want to know the fucking _funny_ part?" He sneered, coming back to stand in front of her. "I didn't even know want to say to this cop that just made a joke about my FUCKING DAUGHTER BEING SHOT AT!"

Ashley winced when his voice rose. Her father barely ever yelled at anyone, most of all her. He was pissed and it was all her fault. She couldn't stop the tears that filled her chocolate brown eyes. She didn't want to cry. She knew she deserve to be yelled at by her dad, but she really hadn't meant to forget to call him. Her mind was just on other things. Maybe her mind had been too preoccupied with Mark, Randy, Glenn, and John and that was nobody's fault but her own.

"Dad, please, I'm sorry. I'm so very sorry." She pleaded with him, tears now spilling down her cheeks.

He opened his mouth to say something when they both heard the elevator coming up to her floor. He gently cupped her face with his hands. "I love you, Sunshine more than life itself, but I'm still very upset about this." He told her softly. She opened her mouth and he shook his head. "However, I will not let that ruin our evening. So go wash your face and no more crying. We're going to have fun tonight. You hear me?"

She nodded and gave him a small smile.

He kissed her forehead and she in return kissed his cheek. Just as her front door was opening, she disappeared in her bedroom to wash her face. She checked her appearance one last time and grinned. She wasn't sure what Mark would say, but she couldn't help it. It was a chilly night so his black 'Taker hoodie was perfect for this evening. Underneath his hoodie was a WWE t-shirt and she still had on her jeans. She wasn't overdressed or underdressed. She was perfect for a WWE pay per view event.

She followed the laughter back into her living room and stopped when she heard Mark's loud gasp. All eyes turned her way and she frowned.

"What's wrong?" She asked, now worried she hadn't cleaned her face well enough and they would now know she had been crying.

Glenn was the first one to speak up. "You look gorgeous, Sweetie. Come on. It's time for Extreme Rules.

* * *

**St. Louis Arena**

She was bouncing on her heels with so much excitement; she felt like she was walking on air. She had already met A.J. and Big E, Kaitlyn, Zach Ryder, 3MB, Mick Foley (which was a honor to her) and several others. She even got to see Sheamus before he practically ran down the hall. At least she got to give him his care package before he quickly vanished. They were almost to Mark's private locker room when they ran into someone she had thought she would never meet.

Her eyes widened into saucers and her mouth dropped. Mark and her dad laughed at her expression.

"Ashley, Ben, this is Bret Hart. Bret, this is my good friend Ashley and her father Ben."

Bret smiled and shook her head. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Ashley."

Ashley gave him a huge smile. "I can honestly say I think the pleasure is truly mine." She replied dreamily.

Bret laughed. "Does that mean that you're a fan?" He asked, pleased.

This time her dad laughed. "She's a big fan. She went through a phase when she was about five or so where she wore nothing but Hart pink, sauntering around the house wearing these cheap knock-off pink sunglasses."

Bret laughed harder as Ashley's face turned bright red. "Please tell me more." He asked, winking at Ashley.

Her father was happy too. "She would have these pretend matches with her stuffed animals and dolls." Ben continued, making Ashley shake her head in embarrassment. "She would choke slam her dolls and then clothesline them, but no matter what, if the match involved Undertaker, he would win hands down. And you were always number two."

Bret was still laughing, shaking his head. "Well if I had to come in at number two, I'm glad Taker was number one."

Mark grumbled. "I'm just pleased to hear that I'm number one."

Bret shook his head as Ashley and Ben laughed. Bret tugged on the bottom of Ashley's hoodie. "I see you're supporting 'Taker a hundred percent this evening."

Ashley nodded. "Always!" She said proudly.

Bret took off his signature pink sunglasses from the top of his head and placed them gently on the top of Ashley's. "There ya go, Honey. Now you have your own Bret 'the Hitman' Hart sunglasses." He smiled.

Ashley squealed like a little school girl and kissed his cheek. "Thank you!"

He tapped the tip of her nose, smiled, and winked before telling them good bye. Mark, Ben, and Ashley continued on towards Mark's locker room where Glenn, Randy, and John had headed before them. They didn't really have a choice as their hands were full with food that Ashley had insisted on fixing. She was doing a lot of that today. Insisting. She hoped they didn't mind. They were doing quite a lot for her. The least she could do is cook for them because she knew they enjoyed it.

"Ashley, Ben, this is Big Show. Big Show, this is Ashley and her dad, Ben."

Mark's voice pulled her from her thoughts and she found herself looking up. He was taller than Mark. She knew that Glenn was taller than Mark but she was use to Glenn. Big Show was so much more taller in person than on television.

"Hi. It's nice to meet you." She replied, shaking his hand after he acknowledged her dad and shook his hand.

He gave her a smile. "Nice to meet you too. Pleasure to finally meet the woman that Orton and Cena are always talking about. I hear a lot about that good food you cook."

She beamed at that compliment. "Thanks! I brought some with me if you want to try any." She told him happily.

His grin got bigger as he rubbed his belly. "I think I just might do that." Mark grunted and Big Show rolled his eyes. "After my match, of course."

Ashley giggled. "Of course. "

He said good bye and they continued on their way to Mark's locker room. They didn't get far when someone else stopped them. Another of Ashley's favorites.

"Who is this beautiful little thing, 'Taker?" A deep voice called out, making them all stop.

Mark scowled and introduced them as Ashley and her father stood transfixed.

"Ashley, Ben, this is Triple H. H, this is Ashley and her dad, Ben."

"Calaway, you've picked another beautiful one." Triple H/Paul commented as he took her hand in his and kissed the top of hers, making Ashley blush like a little school girl. Again. Mark's scowl deepened, making H throw his head back and laugh.

"Fallen hard, huh Mark?" H teased before focusing his attention back on Ashley.

Ashley cocked her head in confusion and Ben, Ashley's dad, looked at Mark in a whole new light. He eyed Mark with distrust and a little bit of dislike. It was plain to H that Ashley's dear old Dad didn't like the idea of Ashley and Mark together. H was guessing that Ashley didn't have a clue about Mark's feelings towards her. He could already tell it was going to blow up in their faces one day. He just hoped it soothed over well.

"Are those your ham sandwiches in 'Taker's locker room?" He asked with a sly grin.

Mark growled.

Ashley laughed. "You ate one of those?" She asked eyes wide.

H nodded. "Despite my better judgment, I did. Now I'm headed to the makeshift gym for a warm up before my match. In fact I think they're almost gone." His eyebrows narrowed in thought.

Mark growled.

Ben laughed. "That doesn't surprise me. Those ham sandwiches of hers are delicious."

H patted his toned abs. "Don't I know it. I wanted another one, but I thought I would wait until after my match."

Ashley reached out and patted his arm. "I'll make sure I save you one."

H leaned down and whispered in her ear. "Save me two and I'll give you a kiss."

Ashley giggled and nodded. "It's a deal." They shook on it and soon after H said good bye and headed to the gym. She wasn't worried about H. She knew he was happily married and it would be nothing but a friendly peck on the cheek, but she was definitely looking forward to it. They needed to get to Mark's locker room. She had two ham sandwiches to save. They continued on their way to his locker room, Ashley and Ben in high spirits and Mark grumbled the entire way. She didn't know what was wrong with him, but she had a feeling it was his upcoming match. She knew he was going to come through it with flying colors. Him with Team Hell No would be dynamite.

Once more they were intercepted but this time; Ashley didn't know the young lady. She was really pretty too. Ashley was really jealous of her straight dark hair. Her eyes were so dark, almost like obsidian. Much more beautiful than her own chocolate brown eyes.

"'Taker, have you seen Unc– um, H?" She asked, trying to look around Mark.

Mark nodded and pointed over his shoulder. "You just missed him. He was headed towards the gym." Mark replied.

The woman looked relieved. Ashley wondered who this woman was because she looked awful lot like Triple H. The hair color was different, but the resemblance was there. Did anyone notice this? She wasn't so sure. She shrugged it off. She was probably imagining things.

"Cedes, let me introduce you to Ashley and her dad, Ben. Ashley, Ben, this is H's new admin assistant, Mercedes. We all call her Cedes."

"It's nice to meet you, Mercedes." Ben replied, shaking her hand.

"It's nice to meet you too."

She then shook Ashley's hand. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Cedes."

Cedes smiled. "It's very much a pleasure to meet the person who makes the best ham sandwiches in the state of Missouri." She teased.

Ashley blushed and laughed. "You had a ham sandwich?"

Cedes nodded. "I could only eat about half of it, but John insisted I at least try it. I'm very glad I did. It was delicious."

"Thanks!"

Ashley wondered if this was John's Mercedes. The one he was all the time thinking about and obsessing over. If she was, John was in a lot of trouble. She was absolutely beautiful. John didn't stand a chance. They said good bye to Mercedes and finally made it to Mark's locker room. When they entered his room, Ashley squealed in delight at the sight before her. Shawn Michaels was eating one of her ham sandwiches. She had never been so awe struck before. She thought she had it bad with Mark. She was in star struck heaven today.

"There she is!" John called out with a grin on his face and a ham sandwich in his hand.

Ashley smiled and gave them a little finger wave. She was introduced to Shawn Michaels and Ashley was sure she was on star struck over load. She hoped this night never ended. They laughed and talked about Shawn's favorite pastime; hunting and fishing and then they talked about Ashley's favorite pastime; cooking. Ashley even made sure she saved Triple H two sandwiches for after Extreme Rules. There was still quite a lot of sandwiches left since Ashley had made sure to make plenty. She had also made boneless barbeque chicken wings, fried chicken strips with homemade ranch dressing, a vegetable tray, a fruit tray, several different kinds of cookies, and a large chocolate cake with rich chocolate sauce and cut-up strawberries for filling. The frosting was a rich chocolate ganache with white chocolate shavings and whole strawberries on top. She hadn't meant to go all out, she just couldn't stop.

Mark, Glenn, John, Randy, Shawn, Ashley, and her dad all watched the matches on the big screen television in Mark's room. Ben snacked non-stop on his daughter's food as did Shawn, but the others held back. She completely understood why. They couldn't wrestle on full stomachs. They watched The Miz defeat Cody Rhodes. Ashley didn't care for Cody Rhodes at all and only for The Miz a little bit. It was a good match. During their match, each one of the guys went into the bathroom and got ready for their upcoming match. As they continued to watch, they warmed up. It was crowded in there, but they did all fit. She believed Mark had something to do with the larger locker room.

The next match was Chris Jericho and Fandango. It looked like it could go either way until Y2J caught Fandango off guard with a code breaker and won the match. She was a fan of Y2J and to see him win against a skittle related idiot was definitely a good thing. No, she was not a fan of Fandingoberry.

The next match was between Sheamus and Mark Henry and Ashley was a little concerned about Sheamus. He had seemed distracted earlier when she gave him his care package and she just hoped everything was okay. Despite being distracted earlier, Sheamus pulled off an incredible win. She was laughing so hard when Mark Henry was carrying him around the ring, hitting the pads and Sheamus was hitting them too.

As the match between Del Rio and Jack Swagger started, Sheamus came in. He was sweaty and had a wet towel around his neck, but Ashley still gave him a hug.

"Congratulations, Sheamus! You won! It was an awesome match!"

"Aye, it was. Ah kicked his arse." He replied, grinning.

Ashley laughed as she nodded. "Yes you did. You wanna a sandwich, Sheamus?" She asked.

"Ah would love one, but Ah'm afraid Ah can't stay, lass."

Ashley frowned as she began to make Sheamus a to go plate. "Is everything okay?" She asked concerned.

He gave a worried shrug. "Ah've got to fly to Ireland tonight. Family emergency."

Ashley immediately felt empathy and put down the plate and pulled Sheamus in for a hug. "I hope everything is okay."

He nodded in agreement. "Me too, lass."

"You can call me anytime, Sheamus, if you need someone to talk to." She replied as she continued to fill his plate.

Sheamus kissed the top of her head and took the plate from her hands. "Ah appreciate that, Lass. Thank ya."

Sheamus said good bye to everyone else in the room, kissed Ashley's cheek, and left with his to go plate. Ashley was worried about him, but she knew if he needed to talk to her, he would call. She turned her attention back to the television just in time to see Del Rio win the match and get the number one contender spot of the championship belt.

"I got to go. I want a kiss for luck, Sweetheart." Randy announced, pulling Ashley into his arms. He brushed a soft kiss across her mouth, kissed her forehead and was out the door before Mark reached him. Ashley touched her fingers to her mouth and let a sigh. Wow. She was just kissed by Randy Orton. She blushed and focused her attention back on the screen. She was kissed by Randy Orton. She giggled. She bet a lot of women couldn't say that. She completely missed Mark's scowl and pissed off posture.

As Randy strolled down to the ring, Daniel Bryan finally arrived.

"Where have you been?" Glenn exclaimed.

Daniel glared at him. "In the gym where you should have been." He accused.

Glenn rolled his eyes. "I've been in here enjoying myself. Maybe you should too. I wanted to introduce you to Ashley."

"Daniel, this is Ashley and her dad, Ben. Ashley, Ben this is my tag team partner, Daniel."

Within ten minutes, Ashley had Daniel laughing as they watched Orton's match with the Big Show. It was a tough match but in the end, Randy won and kicked Big Show's ass. Ashley jumped and hollered and squealed. When Randy entered the locker room, Ashley threw her arms around him and gave him a huge hug.

"You won! You won!" She shouted in his ear.

He chuckled, wrapping his arms around her and lifted her off her feet. "It was that good luck kiss you gave me." He whispered in her ear.

She giggled.

"If you won because of her kiss than we need our good luck kiss too and right now because we're on." Glenn said with a sneaky looking grin. He knew that Mark couldn't argue because they didn't have time. Ashley gave Daniel a soft kiss on the mouth before turning to Glenn. Glenn pulled her against him, lifting her off her feet and brought their mouths together. It was a soft swift kiss, but Mark's growl was anything but soft. Ashley gave him a confused look as Glenn lowered her to her feet. Mark pulled her roughly to him and sent Glenn a dirty look. He grasped Ashley's chin with a firm grip and leaned down at the same time as he brought her to her toes. Ashley blinked and drew in a sharp breath. The look on Mark's face had her a little worried. What was he thinking?

Mark covered her mouth with his, but he kept it light. Ashley gasped, but Mark just nipped her bottom lip and pulled away. Before Ashley could utter a word, he was gone. She shivered and sat down in the nearest chair. She felt like she was on fire. She was shaking like a leaf and she felt like she was on fire. She took several deep breaths and tried to focus on the match with Team Hell No and Undertaker versus The Shield. She found it quite difficult to focus as her breasts were now swollen with arousal and the sensitive part between her legs was now throbbing and wet. Just from one small kiss from Mark and she felt like her entire world was turned upside down. Did Mark feel it too? She shook her head. Probably not. He was worldly. He was experienced. She was boring as hell.

She was so focused on trying to focus her attention off her now horny nature and her boriness that she totally missed the pissed off expression on her dad's face. He was not happy that a much older man was interested in his much younger daughter. He didn't mind them being friends, but something more he just couldn't fathom. He was going to have to talk to his daughter.

Ashley didn't realize the type of match they had until she started to watch. It was Extreme Rules so she should have known that anything goes with this match. The six well-muscled and very talented men kicked the absolute crap out of each other for the next forty minutes. Everyone technically behaved, only beating one another with chairs, bells, ladders,sticks,boards, tables, throwing bottles of Gatorade at each other, climbing on top of a ladder with a limp opponent and then throwing that man out of the ring and on the mats below. There wasn't any cheating involved and Ashley didn't even bother to obtain her excitement when Mark covered Dean Ambrose and won the match.

When Mark stepped into his locker room, sweaty, hot and completely sexy as hell, Ashley threw herself at him. Mark smiled, catching her mid-leap. "You won!" She practically screamed in his ear.

"We got your good luck kiss, of course we won." He muttered, his breath caressing her ear.

John stated he had to go and kissed the top of her head and walked out. He seemed pre-occupied most of the evening with his phone and she hoped everything was okay. She was doing a lot of that this evening. She wished him good luck and he gave her a backwards wave.

"He'll be okay, baby girl. Promise." Mark told her as he set her on her feet. She nodded and turned away. Things settled down as Glenn, Mark, Ben, Daniel, Randy and Ashley started to watch John's match with Ryback. These two had been at each other's throats the last few weeks and this match should solve it all. When John and Ryback took their fight to the stage, Ashley was on the edge of her seat. Everyone was tense as they watched Ryback catch John and plowed him through the entrance set.

Ashley gasped and stood up. "Oh my gosh! Is he okay?" Ashley wondered out loud.

After a few minutes, they show John and Ryback laid out behind the set, neither of them were moving. Paramedics were called in and then an ambulance. Ryback eventually got to his feet, but John was still unmoving.

Randy, hoping to lighten the room, "He should have gotten his good luck kiss from Ashley."

Mark scowled.


	14. Insecure & Worried

**THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU TO KEEPER OF OZ, KAKASHISHOT, DIXIEWINXWRITES12, FIRECRACKER, WATEVACRAZYGIRL, TANYA2BYOUR21, TAMMY, LADYSAPHIRE, AGNESS MADNESS, & BLUE-EYES WARRIOR QUEEN FOR YOUR LOVELY AND WONDERFUL REVIEWS! I LOVE THEM ALL! And Thank you FAMOUSWOLF for your PM review! **

Author's Note: I truly love all of your reviews. In my opinion none of them have been nasty or mean or insulting. They've been truthful without being ugly. I appreciate that. I love to hear everyone's opinion! You guys rock after all! I think myself personally.. that I have the Best Readers!

This chapter's quote:

"_I think The Deadman endures because there is a mystery to him. People always want to know more about him, and there is so little to know. These days, with social media and everyone talking all the time, you know everything about everyone and the mystery is lost. But with him, the mystery never got lost. Meeting Undertaker is exciting, but it's not the same kind of excitement as when you're a follower. You're a Superstar now, and it's as much about, 'I'm so excited to meet him!' as it is a question of, 'Can I beat him?'"_ –Antonio Cesaro (I do not agree with Cesaro's first sentence)

Chapter Fourteen  
Insecure & Worried

**Tuesday May 21, 2013**

"How's he doing?" I asked curious.

Randy Orton let out an exasperated breath. "He's driving me fucking nuts."

I laughed when I heard Cena in the back ground. "Fuck you, Orton!"

"That bad, huh?" I teased my friend. It seemed as if lately, I didn't get that chance often.

Another sigh. "I'll be ready for when he'll be released from the hospital." Orton responded, sounding much older than his thirty-three years.

"It sucks ass, Orton. Trust me. Cena's hurting a lot more than you are."

Another exasperated breath. I almost felt sorry for the Apex Predator.

"I completely forgot, Calaway. How are you doing?" I knew he was concerned but there wasn't any need.

"I'm fine. Don't worry about me."

"Are you sure about that?" He had his doubts. I could tell.

I tried to move up in the bed I was in and hissed in pain.

Orton chuckled. "That's what I figured. So what are your plans?"

I looked around the hospital room I was currently residing in and curled my lip in disgust. "I'm going home to Texas and taking a few weeks off." I replied in annoyance. I didn't want to take any time off. Especially when I just got back in the groove of things. Now I didn't have any choice.

"Have you talked to Ashley?" He asked slowly.

I growled at the mere mention of her name. I wasn't happy with Ashley. The night of Extreme Rules, she went around kissing every guy there without any thought of what anyone would think. So it was only a few of us and H, but she should have considered how it would affect everyone around her. Mainly me. Then I found out she had invited Jordan to dinner at her place on Thursday evening. In my opinion she trusted that guy just a little too freely.

Orton chuckled. "You haven't laid any claim on her, Calaway. She can kiss and date who she wants to. And besides, the kisses were nothing but friendly pecks. Don't read too much in to it."

I snorted. "I haven't a clue what in the hell you're talking about."

Orton laughed harder. "Yes you do and that's what's pissing you off."

"So it doesn't bother you that she invited Jordan to her house for dinner?"

Orton grunted. "Hell yes it bothers me. I don't like him nor do I trust him, but I don't have any claim on Ashley and I'm not her father or brother or anyone else that can tell her what to do. She's her own person, Calaway and she trusts easily because that's the type of person she is. If you don't like it, you know what you need to do." Orton replied.

"She's too damn young for me, Orton. Way too damn young."

"It's only a number, Mark." Orton stated softly, getting his point across quite clear.

"Right now it doesn't matter. I'm laid up with a fucking injury." I snarled.

Orton chuckled. "Just call her. Spend some time with her. Take her to Texas or something. Get her away from Jordan."

I grinned. I liked that idea. "Yeah, alright, I'll call her. Just keep me informed on Cena." I gave him an order.

He grunted in reply and hung up. He didn't like taking my orders but I knew he would follow them. He did it out of respect that I had earned through time.

When I heard the door to my hospital room open, I slid my phone under the covers and under my good leg. This hospital seem to have a problem with patients having phones; so I learned. A nurse walked in with a food tray and set it down on rolling table.

"Are you hungry, Mr. Calaway?" She asked me with a pleasant smile. I liked this nurse, Cheryl was her name. She was my nurse since last night; working a double shift and she was so far the only one that didn't flirt every time she opened her mouth.

I shook my head. "Not really." I replied, returning her smile with one of gratitude.

She shook her head and clucked her tongue. "Still craving those ham sandwiches, huh?" She teased.

I chuckled. "Yeah I guess I am." I told her. When she brought me dinner yesterday, it had been a chuck of ham with red potatoes and it reminded me of Ashley's ham sandwiches, but the taste of was seriously lacking. The nurse, Cheryl, had known something was bothering me and showed concerned. I actually told her of Ashley's ham sandwiches.

"You should call her with that phone you have hidden under your leg, Mr. Calaway." She spoke gently.

I looked up in surprise and she laughed. "You can't get much past me, Mr. Calaway." She called out in a sing-song voice as she walked out the door.

I chuckled softly and pulled my phone out from under my leg and under the covers. Since I had it on silent, I missed another call from Ashley; this one by accident. She had called several times since Monday night Raw and I knew she had seen what had happened and I knew she was worried. Every time she called, I sent her to voice mail or just ignored the call altogether. She texted once, but I ignored that too. I hated that I was worrying her, hell I hated that I was ignoring her even worse. Especially when I knew she was concerned for me. I was being an ass, but I was still pissed off over Monday night's Raw injury.

Bryan and Jacobs had a handicapped match against 3MB and the Shield interfered. Two of them completely took out Bryan before all three focused on Jacobs. I went out there to help, but when they took out Jacobs, the three of them came after me. They triple bombed me into the announcer's table and in the process, my tibia bone in my left leg was fractured. The doctors stated it was more of a crack than a fracture, but considering my line of work, it was being called a fracture. The doctors deemed me out of commission for eight weeks. Two months of rest and relaxation when all I wanted was to get back on the road with my fellow superstars.

The WWE officials announced that I was hurt and probably going to have to have surgery so I knew that added to Ashley's worry. I was being a punk ass coward by avoiding her, but I was just too pissed to talk like a rational adult. I was upset with Ashley, but I was also furious at The Shield for fracturing my leg. Early this morning, the doctor's had to go in and remove a tiny bone fragment that had embedded in my muscle tissue and that was why I was still in the hospital in Kansas City, Missouri. I needed to call her to let her know that I was okay, but I was still upset with the whole locker room fiasco the night of Extreme Rules.

It seemed like everyone came to my locker room after their match and wanted to sample Ashley's food. Before I knew it, there were over thirty people in my locker room. It was crowded as hell with people coming and going, most of them hanging around, laughing and joking and just cutting up. Ashley did indeed save two sandwiches for H and it pissed me off to see him kiss her directly on the mouth. Almost as much as it pissed me off when Orton kissed her. I was seething inside and Orton was completely right; I couldn't and still can't do a thing about it.

The only ones that didn't take to Ashley were the Bella twins, Damien Sandow, Cody Rhodes, and Fandango. They liked her food just fine, they just didn't like her. I didn't understand why but Ashley shrugged it off and ignored them. She was having a good time with Orton, Jacobs, Bryan, her dad and me. I couldn't believe all the food she had brought. Not only brought, but made herself. That chocolate cake was abso-fucking-lutely delicious and pure sinful. It was a pretty big cake and she had to cut tiny slivers so everyone got a piece. No one got seconds. There wasn't enough to do that. She had made probably over two hundred ham sandwiches and those were gone pretty quickly after Extreme Rules was over. Most everyone got at least one but a few of us were lucky and got two. I was one of the really lucky ones; I got three.

Despite the whole kissing thing; speaking of, I kissed her. It wasn't a kiss that I would have thought of and it definitely didn't satisfy my desire for her. I wanted more. That one small kiss only made me hard as hell before my match. Thankfully it didn't fuck with my focus and I was pretty sure no one noticed that I had an erection in my pants. If they did, no one is saying anything. Trust me, I'm very grateful. The last thing I want circulating around the roster is that Calaway went into a match for a hard on the size of baseball bat. I'm not embellishing either. She made me that damned hard. Her lips were soft against mine and that soft little gasp almost did me in. I was barely able to make it out of my locker room without taking Ashley on the floor.

Two days later and I was avoiding her. That stopped… now.

"Hello?" Her voice was soft and the tone was unsure and almost sounded as if she was hurt. That cut through me like a knife.

"Baby girl, how are you?" I asked, keeping the smile in my voice. I wanted to relax her; put her at ease.

"I'm sorry for calling you so much. I just wanted to make sure you were okay." She sounded totally unsure. In fact, it didn't really sound like the Ashley I knew.

"I should be the one apologizing, Ashley. I've been busy and haven't been able to answer your calls." The small lie slipped off my tongue with such ease, guilt filled me.

Silence greeted my statement.

"Ashley?"

She took a deep breath. "You don't need to lie to me, Mark." She stated softly.

She caught me completely by surprise. "What?" I refrained from stuttering.

"You may have been busy, that I have no doubt, but you've been ignoring me; avoiding me in fact. Why lie?" She called me on my lie. _Son of a bitch!_

"You don't need to explain yourself, but you don't need to lie about it either, Mark. If you didn't want to talk to me than all you had to do was say so. I would have understood. I just wanted to make sure you were okay. I saw Raw and you were hurt and they were saying you were hurt and I just wanted to make sure you were okay." She took a deep breath. "Are you okay?" She whispered through the phone.

I didn't know what to say so I just answered the question. "I'm fine. My left tibia was cracked and I had surgery to remove a bone fragment and I'm out of commission for the next eight weeks. But I'm fine, I promise."

"Good, I'm glad you're okay." She replied firmly and then I heard it.

A click.

"Ashley?"

I looked at the screen on my phone and sure enough; she hung up on me. Shit! She was really upset with me. I doubted the Ashley I had come to know and liked and definitely enjoyed being around would have hung up on me. Now what!?

* * *

**Thursday Night May 23, 2013**

I felt good for the most part. I was at home in Texas and I was relaxed and comfortable. My belly was full of good food and I was watching a boxing match on my eighty plus inch television. But I was not happy. I shouldn't have dwelled on it and perhaps I was being unlike myself, but it was bugging the hell out of me. And I only made it worse.

After Ashley hung up on me Tuesday evening, I left her alone for the rest of the evening. Despite the fact that I wanted to call her again, immediately. I called her last night and our conversation had been brief and tense. She had just returned from a date with Jordan. I wasn't happy at all to hear that part. After all, I thought their date was tonight. She said it was, but although Jordan was on call, he didn't have to go in unless there was an emergency. He had called her while she was at work, so after she got off work, she went out with him. He even picked her up at Harley's. At least he didn't go to her house. She proceeded to tell me where they went and what they had done. I did something I thought I would never do – I rudely cut her off and I told her I didn't want to hear it.

I knew I had hurt her feelings and I felt bad but I did not want to hear about Jordan. She then asked me very politely and oh so gently how I was and how my leg was. I could tell by the tone of her voice that she was unsure and almost scared of how I was going to react to the simple questions. I told her I was doing pretty, the pain was minuscule and I was now at home in Texas. She then told me that she was relieved that I was okay; she bid me good night and hung up.

That was twice now she had hung up on me and I did not like it and I definitely did not enjoy it. The first thing I was going to do was warn her to never hang on me again or she wouldn't like the consequences.

I dialed her number and waited. She answered it what I was pretty sure was the very last minute before it went to voice mail.

"Hello." She answered my call, but I wasn't sure how long I would be able to keep her on the phone. So I got the warning out first.

"If you hang up on me ever again, you will not like or enjoy the consequences, baby girl." I warned her forcefully. I didn't care if she liked it or not, she wouldn't do it again.

She made a very unladylike snort. "Well, if you ever lie to me again, I'm afraid you won't like or enjoy the consequences either." She returned my own warning; with just as much force as my own warning held.

I was proud of her for this forceful warning, but she was wrong. Kind of.

"I didn't lie." I told her.

Not completely anyway. I had been busy.

"I was busy so yes I ignored your calls and for that I'm sorry." I stated sincerely.

"Apology accepted." She replied curtly.

She still didn't believe me. I chuckled softly. She was a smart one.

I gave a soft sigh. "How was your day?" I asked stupidly, knowing she had a date with Jordan.

"My day was fine. Yours?" She asked, her sweet voice holding no emotion whatsoever.

I knew her soft rudeness was my fault and I had to snap her out of it. Even if I didn't want to hear about it or him.

"Didn't you have a date with Jordan?" I hoped she took the bait.

"I don't want to talk about it, Mark." She told me briskly.

"Why?" My voice hard as stone.

"It doesn't matter why, Mark, I just don't."

To my ears, it sounded as if she was almost in a panic.

"Baby girl, I'm sorry for my rudeness yesterday. I shouldn't have acted like that." Once again I was completely sincere in my apology.

"Apology accepted, Mark. I understand. I really do." Her voice was now warm and sweet and back to normal.

I smirked to myself. "Good, now tell me about your date." I offered once again. Yes I was a glutton for punishment.

"I don't want to."

The sound of her voice gave me chills. Now I was worried about her and pissed off all at the same time. Whatever the hell was going on I was going to find out. And Jordan had better hope he could run fast enough. I may be old, but I was in damn good shape.

"Why not?" I questioned, unable to keep the irritation out of my tone.

She took a deep breath. "I just don't Mark. Please understand that."

It was almost as if she was pleading with me and I didn't like it. So I let it go. For now, but eventually I would know exactly what was going on.

"What do you say if I come visit for a little bit while I'm on lock down for the next eight weeks?" I teased.

"Really? You want to?" Again with that unsure and almost insecure voice. I did detect a hint of excitement though.

"Yes really. It would just be me though. Orton, Cena, and Jacobs are still out on the road." I said, teasing her some more.

"Is John okay then?" She asked, taking me by complete surprise.

Cena refused medical attention the night of Extreme Rules, but he did go to the hospital later with the urging of one small female. And it wasn't Ashley.

"Cena is fine. He had quite a few bumps, bruises, and contusions, but the doctors said he'll be fine and in-ring shape by Payback. He's driving Orton crazy though." I told her, laughing at just the thought of it.

"Good, I was worried about him. I talk to Randy the other night, but he couldn't talk long so I was unable to ask before we hung up."

I softly growled. I knew she was talking to Orton, but I lived in denial about that. I didn't like hearing it confirmed. Although if she talked to Orton often then maybe he could help me.

"You talk to Orton often?" I asked, a great idea coming together in my mind.

"Not as much as you and me usually do, but yeah. Why?" That unsure voice crept back in there, worrying me once more.

"I was just wondering, baby girl." I kept my voice pleasurable. "I'm glad you talk to Orton." I reassured her, although her talking to Orton bugged me. However, that meant she confided in Orton and her confiding in Orton would benefit me.

* * *

**Friday May 24, 2013**

I called Orton first.

"You want me to do what?" Orton questioned my intentions in complete disbelief.

"Call her and get her to tell you about her dates." I repeated once again.

"Dates? As in plural? And why don't _you_ just ask her?" He was having a hard time understanding this. I didn't know why.

"Because I snapped at her and –"

"You snapped at her?" Orton hissed, clearly not happy about that.

I let out a sigh. "I wasn't in a good mood and the last thing I wanted to hear about was her date. So yes I snapped at her and now she won't talk to me about her dates."

"What makes you think I'm gonna get her to talk to me? And what makes you think if I do get her to talk to me that I'm gonna tell you about it."

I grunted at his playful mocking attitude. That I did not care for.

"I know you will because you don't want her anywhere near this Jordan character. Just as I don't." I told him.

Orton huffed out a breath. "I'll call you back."

He hung up and I felt a little better. She would divulge in him and then I would know for sure that everything was okay. I didn't understand why I was so enthralled with this little girl, but whatever it was she had me wrapped around her pinkie finger and I didn't even think she knew it. Hell, I didn't even think she really cared. I did believe she really liked being just my friend and for some reason, that bothered the shit out of me. Which was one reason why I had scheduled a trip up to St. Louis in the very near future.

For the next eight weeks, I was determined not to lose my mind with boredom so I had plenty of things planned. I had an interview with Conan at the beginning of June to discuss _Wrestlemania_, Extreme Rules and my injury. Technically my injury is just a bonus for Conan because when the interview had been schedule, I hadn't been hurt. They could consider my incapacitated state a plus in the lineup, I guess.

I would ride my motorcycle; my baby, but a cracked tibia hindered that quite a bit. I was definitely going to catch up on the real estate side of my life. I hadn't done that in a while. I was thinking of buying a place in St. Louis. Just because St. Louis was a hot spot for real estate right now. Not because that's where Ashley lived. I was most certainly going to watch the boxing matches I had recorded on my DVR. Maybe I could even get tickets to an actual match.

And I couldn't ride any of my bikes, but I could polish them up, make them shine. Maybe before I actually got back on the road, when I was fully healed, I could ride my bike up to St. Louis and give Ashley the ride of her life. On my bike of course.

I headed towards the kitchen with my crutches when I had to double back because my phone started ringing. They hadn't talked long and that didn't give me much hope.

"Orton? That didn't take long." I stated flatly.

Orton snorted. "That's because she wouldn't talk to me either. In fact, her whole personality seemed a little different." He stated with curiosity.

I let out a sigh. "Did she sound unsure of herself? Almost insecure?" I wondered.

Orton took a deep breath and then sighed himself. "That's exactly the way she sounded. What the hell is up with that?"

"I don't know why she's suddenly changing." I replied forlornly.

"What are you going to do?"

"I'm booking a flight to St. Louis and I'm going to find out what the hell Jordan has done to my little chef."


	15. Oh, the Surprises!

**THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU TO KAKASHISHOT, TAMMY, KEPOUROS, KEEPER OF OZ, TANYA2BYOUR21, & FIRECRACKER FOR YOUR WONDERFUL REVIEWS! I LOVED THEM ALL!**

A special thank you to Keeper of oz for your help on this chapter. Without her, I would have been a little lost at parts..

This chapter's quote:

"_I remember first seeing Undertaker in person when I was 12 years old at a live event in Las Vegas, and I left that event in awe of the energy of his presence. And today, you can still feel that energy – and it's just unmatched. For him to be able to last this long in a business where you see the roster changing every year, it's really amazing. I know it's one of my goals to step in the ring at __Wrestlemania__ with him someday. It didn't happen this year, but I'm hoping I'll be at the very top of that list next year."_ –Ryback

Chapter Fifteen  
Oh The Surprises!

**Monday Mid-Morning May 20, 2013**

She was tired, but she was bouncing on the balls of her feet with excitement, happiness, and just pure giddiness. Last night had been the best night of her life. It was even better than graduating from high school and Culinary school. She had actually got to spend the evening with her favorite wrestlers and her all-time favorite wrestler as well. She got to laugh with them and make then laugh as well. They ate her food and complimented her food. Heck, they loved her food! By the end of the night her head had grown three times its size and they were still telling her how delicious her food was.

The best part of her whole night was the kiss. That one small kiss from Mark Calaway, her best friend and her fantasy come to life. He was still Undertaker and he would always be Undertaker; to the outside world, but to her, he was Mark. He was her perfect man. Although maybe it would never happen between him and her, she would always have the night of Extreme Rules and that kiss. It was a just a small kiss, barely whispered across her lips but she felt it clear to her bones. Never such a kiss had turned her on as much as Mark's kiss upon her mouth. She had so badly wanted to grab him and kiss him until he ravished her on the spot, but she didn't have the courage and she doubt she ever would. She knew she was pretty, but she wasn't Mark Calaway pretty.

She shook her head and laughed. That didn't sound right at all.

"What are you laughing at, Gorgeous?"

Eric's smiling voice pulled her from her thoughts of Mark and his very hot kiss. She glanced over at Eric and grinned.

"I wasn't laughing." She said, blushing to the roots of her hair.

Eric's eyebrows went up at the sight of her blush. She was keeping something a secret and it had to be juicy. Ashley was rarely naughty. Hell, he honestly didn't think he had ever seen her blush that red before. He had to get her to spill. Maybe it would help –

He shook his head._ Better not to go there during work hours. _

"Oh come on… you can tell me." He urged in a loud whisper.

She giggled softly and shook her head harder, burying her attention at the work in front of her. Eric abandoned his own work and sauntered over to Ashley. It was just the two of them right now, but everyone but Antonio would be showing up at any time. He needed her to spill before anyone showed up. He hooked am arm around her shoulders and tugged her towards him.

"You know you're just dying to tell someone what's been going on with you lately."

She knew it was probably weird, but no one but her dad and Jordan knew about Mark and her boys. The only reason why Jordan knew was because he was at her house that night they showed up. She eventually had to explain who they were and what they did for a living because to him they had looked kind of familiar and he was curious about why they were so darn big. She just hadn't wanted to tell anybody because well, she hadn't asked her boys if it was okay for her to tell people she got to hang around them. It wasn't like they went out in public together or anything so there was no reason to tell anybody. At least not yet.

She shrugged. "I don't have a clue at what you're talking about, Eric." She pretended ignorance and motioned towards his station. "Go back to your station and get to work."

He gave her a squeeze, shaking his head; he gave her a lopsided grin. "Not until you tell me what you were laughing at. You were thinking of something naughty, weren't you?" He teased, his voice dropping into a barely there whisper, making him sound clearly seductive.

"What's going on in here?"

The terse and somewhat angry voice cut through the quiet kitchen like a knife. Ashley and Eric looked up to find one pissed looking Jordan standing in the entry way to Harley's kitchen. Ashley was shocked to see him there since they hadn't planned anything. She knew what it must look like with her and Eric so close. Not that she had anything to explain to Jordan since they had only just started dating.

"Jordan, what are you doing here?" She asked, pushing Eric away from her. Eric reluctantly stepped away from her, but he honestly didn't want her anywhere near this Jordan.

Jordan eyed Eric with disdain as he stepped closer to Ashley. "I wanted to see you. I thought your job would be on level ground so we could talk." He stated. Ashley took notice that he said job as if it were a disease.

And talk about what? As far as she knew, everything was okay.

"Eric, can you please go check on the dining room. Make sure everything is prepared." She asked him, giving him a soft pleading look. He was an assistant sous chef and the last thing he would ever have to do was check the dining room, but he understood what Ashley was trying to do so he agreed.

"Nice to meet you, Jordan." Eric grinned although it was far from friendly. Jordan nodded in acknowledgment, but stayed silent.

Ashley waited until Eric had left the kitchen before turning her attention to Jordan. "Jordan, is everything okay? Is our date still on for Thursday evening?" She asked gently. She wasn't so sure about look on his face. He didn't look happy.

"Of course our date is still scheduled for Thursday evening, but I was thinking of changing our plans for the evening a little." He stated slowly.

She felt like he was taking to her like she was stupid. She didn't care for it, but she wouldn't accuse him of anything until she was sure.

"What would you like to change?" She asked him with a smile, continuing her prep work.

He motioned towards her knife. "Do you think you could stop that while I'm talking to you?" He asked, his voice dripping with displeasure.

Ashley placed the knife gently on the chopping block, wiped her hands on her apron and turned to face Jordan. She didn't however speak. If she did, she was afraid of what was going to come out of her mouth.

"I have made us a reservation at Napoli Two for nine o'clock."

Ashley let out an almost sad sigh. She had eaten at Napoli before and it had good food, but she didn't understand what was wrong with her cooking. She loved to cook and she was darn good at it. She stayed silent, just nodding in agreement. He took her silence as an agreement and continued talking.

"And I was thinking we could go out to dinner this evening. You get off early tonight, don't you?"

She nodded slowly. "I would love to go out tonight, but I can't." She started out, holding up a hand to stop him from talking. "I'm sorry, but I can't. Every Monday and Friday evening my dad and me get together to watch wrestling." She told him apologetically.

He curled his lip. "Wrestling? You do know that crap is fake, right?"

Ashley narrowed her eyes in annoyance. "Do you know that I don't care? I've been watching it since I was a toddler. It's a tradition that I share with my dad and I won't be stopping that tradition for any man." She told him with disdain.

She took a deep breath and softened her voice. "You are welcome to join us, Jordan. I'm sure my daddy wouldn't mind."

Jordan looked horrified and he quickly shook his head. "No thank you. I wouldn't want to intrude."

Ashley huffed out a breath and went back to her prep, signaling to Dr. Forrester that their conversation was over.

* * *

**Tuesday May 21, 2013**

With a frown, she slid her cell phone back in her pocket.

"It's a little inconsiderate and rude, Ashley, to be on the phone when on a date." Jordan's infuriated tone slashed through her worries.

She looked up at Jordan, not really focused on him. "I'm sorry, Jordan but I'm worried."

She was quite worried in fact. She knew when the Shield triple bombed Mark into the announcer's table that he had been hurt. She just didn't know how hurt he had been. She had tried calling him last night a few times, but it had been after midnight so he hadn't answered. And then this morning she had texted him around eight or so and he never replied back. She was afraid that he was badly hurt and unable to answer his phone.

She was so worried in fact that when Jordan showed up once again at Harley's to invite her to lunch, she just agreed. She thought maybe having a lunch date would help take her mind off things. So far that wasn't working.

"About what?" He was pacifying her. She found it rather annoying.

"Last night on Raw, Mark was hurt and now he won't answer his phone. I'm afraid he was seriously injured."

Jordan rolled his eyes. "That crap is fake, Ashley." Jordan spoke, infuriated.

She blew out a breath. "Accidents happen, Jordan and Mark was hurt and it was definitely serious." She told him, ignoring his tone.

Jordan shook his head. "If he was hurt –and that's a big if– he's probably surrounded by beautiful, sexy women who are catering to his every need right about now." Jordan smirked.

"Then how come he doesn't just answer my call to let me know that he's okay?" Ashley wondered out loud.

Jordan clucked his tongued. "Isn't it obvious, Ashley?" He asked, talking to her like she was ignorant.

But Ashley seriously didn't know why so she shook her head.

Jordan laughed. "He's avoiding you, Ashley. Take a hint." He snapped.

* * *

**Wednesday May 22, 2013**

Another day and another 'lunch' date with Jordan. She felt bad because she was kind of just using him. Honestly she would try anything to get her mind off Mark. Jordan continued to tell her that Mark didn't want to 'hang' around her anymore. She didn't want to believe it, but by the time Mark had eventually gotten around to calling her, she knew it was true. He was avoiding her because he didn't know how to tell her the truth. He had told her he was busy and she was sure he might have been, but he had told her many times that he would never be too busy to answer her call. Apparently that changed.

She should have known better though. After all, this was Mark 'Undertaker' Calaway. He didn't need her. He had tons of friends and just as Jordan had said, he had plenty of women waiting and wanting to be at his beck and call. She had a feeling that Mark didn't want to hurt her feelings so she was going to half to be the one that 'broke' things off. It was going to hurt her a lot more than it hurt him. She was thinking maybe if Mark saw how happy she was in her relationship with Jordan than he would hang back so she could willingly explore that relationship than maybe after time they would just naturally drift apart and she wouldn't have to completely heart broken when Mark no longer came around.

Jordan made a low appreciative moan low in his throat and Ashley turned to look at him. They were at a nice restaurant where Ashley felt a little under dressed. She was at work when Jordan came once again to invite her to this lunch date. She couldn't 'see' any reason for his little moan so she asked, curious.

"What was that for?" She smiled at him.

With his head, he motioned and Ashley followed the motion with her eyes towards an attractive blonde standing at the entrance to the restaurant.

"What about her?" Ashley asked carefully.

"That dress does wonders for her figure."

Ashley looked at her again and nodded. It did, he was right. The strapless blue dress hugged her generous curves making her look beautiful and sexy.

"I like that dress." Ashley stated. She doubted she would ever wear something like that.

Jordan laughed and Ashley's brows furrowed in confusion. "You can't wear that dress."

Ashley frowned affronted. "Why?"

Jordon, with his hands motioned towards his chest. "You don't have the breasts for that dress. You would need full perky breasts and you are far from that." He told her, still laughing.

Ashley felt her face go red and she looked down at her chest. She thought she had pretty nice breasts. They weren't big or anything. She barely fit into a 'B' cup, but she fit into one. And her breasts were perky. What a jerk?!

* * *

**Thursday May 23, 2013**

She was at the Napoli restaurant with Jordan and she wanted to be anywhere but here. This date was a disaster although Jordan didn't seem to think so, he was too involved eying the other women in the room, like she wasn't even here. Not that she really cared even. She just wanted to go home and cry a little more. She knew she shouldn't cry, but she had always been an emotional person and she couldn't help it.

When Mark called her last night, she had wanted to talk to him about what Jordan had said to her. She had had boyfriends before and not one of them had ever said anything of the kind to her. She had wanted to ask Mark if maybe Jordan was just one of those uppity types that spoke his mind on every subject, including his girlfriend's breasts, whether or not she would honestly mind. But then Mark had so rudely cut her off and she felt that harshness to the very root of her.

She never heard the tone of voice from Mark before and she didn't know what to think. Maybe Jordan was right. Maybe Mark was tired of her and her friendship. She didn't have much to offer him anyway.

"You should style your hair like that."

Jordan's sudden advice invaded her thoughts and she frowned. What had he said?

"Style my hair like what?" She asked clearly offended. She liked her hair.

Jordan sighed. "There's this red head a couple of tables over and she's got this short little curvy bob thing going on and it's actually very sexy." He replied appreciatively.

He was paying this red head a lot of attention. This is twice now he's paid other women more attention than her. While they were on a date!

She shook her head.

She didn't have any room to talk. She was thinking of another man.

"Too bad though."

Her head jerked as she refocused her attention on Jordan. "What?"

"I don't think you're sophisticated enough to pull off that kind of style."

Her jaw clenched tight and her nails dug into her palms where her hands were tightened into fists. What the hell was his problem?!

* * *

**Friday Morning May 24, 2013**

He was right. She wasn't sophisticated or classy. She was like a redneck. Or worse… white trash! So why would a man like Mark want her. She couldn't even hold the attentions a man like Jordan. She was pretty much insane thinking she had a clear shot with Mark. She had been fooling herself this entire time. What the hell would a man like Mark Calaway see in her? After that kiss at Extreme Rules she had started to think… just maybe. But she had been wrong. So very wrong.

"Ashley?" Eric's concerned tone pulled her away from her dark thoughts.

She looked up. "Yeah?"

Eric motioned towards the door, a black look on his handsome face. Ashley turned and fought the grimace that threatened to show. Jordan was here again.

"Dr. Forrester, what brings you by?" Eric asked condescendingly.

Jordan glared at Eric. "I've come to see my girlfriend." He replied arrogantly.

Ashley flinched at the girlfriend. She was beginning not to like Jordan especially now that she knew what he truly thought her and her breasts. Though she still thought they were pretty nice.

Eric clucked his tongue. "Didn't you cook for him last night, Ashley?" He asked and she shook her head vigorously. Eric frowned. "I was sure you told me that you were cooking for the two of you."

"I changed our plans." More with the arrogant tone. Ashley sighed.

Eric curled his lip. "Why?"

"I'm rather picky when it comes to my food. I doubt you would understand."

Eric wanted to deck this guy. What the fuck was his problem? "Ashley's a damn good chef, _Doctor._ You should have been honored that she offered to prepare dinner for you."

"Again, I doubt you would understand." Jordan gave Eric a look that clearly told him to shut up.

But this time it wasn't Eric that spoke, it was Rainie.

"If her cooking is good enough for the superstars of the WWE than I'm pretty sure they're too good for you." She snarled at him.

Ashley groaned. She had completely forgotten that she had confided in Rainie about … well everything.

Eric looked surprised at Rainie's statement while Jordan just looked pissed. Ashley felt herself drowning in a pool of thick heavy sand and she couldn't get out.

"Her _friends_," he hissed, "are only using her as they see fit. Probably trying to get her into bed."

Ashley felt like she was going to throw up, but she didn't have time… seeing how Rainie just dive bombed towards Jordan.

* * *

**Friday… Hours Later**

"Hello?" She answered hesitantly.

"Ashley, you okay?"

She felt relieved when she heard Eric's voice. "I'm okay. How's Rainie?" Ashley asked with a small grin. Rainie had slipped through Eric's grip and landed several punches to Jordan's face; breaking his nose. Personally, Ashley believed that Eric purposely let Rainie 'slip through' so she could land those punches. Jordan then threatened to have her arrested for assault and Ashley didn't something she hated to do but she wouldn't have her friend going to jail for her so she made a threat of her own. She told Jordan that if he did press charges then she would tell Mark, Randy, John, and Glenn all about him and his comments this past week. He swallowed and nodded. They would not be seeing each other anymore. Ashley made sure of it.

Then right after she asked Jason for some time off. She needed a break. She had until Monday.

Eric laughed. "She's okay. She's got a mean right hook." He joked.

Ashley giggled. "Yes she does."

He took a deep breath. "So… everything is okay?"

"Yeah, everything is fine now."

"Now?"

Ashley sighed. "I live in a security tight condo. You have to have a key for the elevator to get to any floor and right after I got home there was a breach in the system and everything was shut down."

Eric whistled. "What kind of breach?"

"Someone tried to insert something in the key hole to get the elevator to go up." She replied.

"Damn. Is all okay now?"

"Yep. They didn't catch the person, but all floors were searched."

"Including yours?"

"Yep."

"At least you're okay." He said absent mindedly.

"Yep."

"Good."

Ashley laughed. "I agree."

Eric took another deep breath. "I was wondering if you were free tomorrow night?"

Ashley inhaled sharply. "Like a date?" She asked softly.

Eric chuckled. "Yes, like a date."

On the rebound from Jordan. A date with a co-worker. Both bad points. "I would love to."

"Great! I'll pick you at seven. Dress nice." Eric laughed. "Fuck that. Dress casual."

She agreed and they hung up. She had a date with Eric. She actually felt pretty good about it.

* * *

**Saturday May 25, 2013**

Her house was cleaned and she was feeling elated and a little sad. She hadn't heard from Mark since Thursday night, but she did hear from Randy last night. He called and asked her about her dates with Jordan, but she couldn't tell him. She was just too ashamed to tell him what Jordan had said and how she was too stupid to immediately break things off with him. She hated to admit, but it scared her something bad to think that there was some truth to what Jordan had said. Were they using her only to get her into bed? She guessed she was naïve enough for that. Although she liked to think that she wasn't.

After her quick shower, she dressed in a pair of short gray yoga shorts and a light blue camisole top and then headed into the kitchen. Her hair was wet and hanging around her shoulders in dark curly waves, she would fix it later. She would also soak in the tub in a little bit as well so she would smell good for her date.

Right now, she was hungry and she wanted a grilled chicken breast sandwich. She had just finished cutting her chicken when she heard the elevator stop on her floor. She frowned and headed towards her foyer. She opened her front door and almost fainted.

"Mark? What are you doing here?" She exclaimed in surprise. He looked good too, dressed in a pair of tight black jeans and a tight black motorcycle t-shirt. His tattoos were on display and she bit her lip in desire at the sight. She loved those tattoos. And the brace on his leg only made him look sexier. Is that even possible?

He cocked an eyebrow. "May I come in?" He asked politely.

Ashley nodded and stepped aside. "Sure. I was just getting ready to fix me a chicken sandwich. Would you like one?" She asked him as she walked into the kitchen with Mark at her heels.

He chuckled. "If they taste anything like your ham sandwiches, you bet your cute little ass I do." He said playfully.

She flushed bright red, but she couldn't help but laugh. She took out another chicken breast and set it to defrost in the microwave. She kept her back to him because she didn't know what to think of this surprise visit and to be honest, she suddenly felt shy. She glanced out of the corner of her eye as she placed the chicken on the grill. Mark was propped up against the counter to the right of her. His feet were crossed at the ankles as his arms were crossed over his massive chest. He looked sexy as hell. She hoped she didn't burn the chicken.

"You okay?" He asked gently.

She nodded slowly, trying to keep her focus on her chicken. "There was a breach yesterday right after I got home from work." She told him, making conversation.

"What kind of breach?" Mark questioned with great concern.

Ashley shrugged. "Someone tried to jimmy the elevator key."

"To what floor, Ashley?" His voice suddenly tight.

She bit her lip. "To my floor."

Mark hissed. "Did they find anything or… anybody?"

Ashley shook her head. "They searched all the floors but came up empty." She replied.

They were silent for a few more minutes as Ashley finished cooking Mark's chicken and got hers on the grill. Mark stood up and ate his chicken sandwich, moaning with every bite. It made Ashley smile.

"I thought you fractured your leg." She was curious at the leg brace. It wasn't a cast, but it looked tight.

He tapped the brace. "It was a crack. I'm fine. I tried telling the doctor that I was fine, but he wouldn't listen. He gave me this brace because I refused a cast. I used crutches for a few days, but now I'm good."

Ashley nodded. She wasn't so sure, but it was his leg. If he said he was fine, then he was fine. "Good."

She fixed her sandwich in silence as Mark finished eating his. She took a bite of her chicken and then took a deep breath.

"Why are you here, Mark?" She asked, scared of the answer.

"I was worried about you?"

"Why?"

Mark cocked his head and shrugged nonchalantly. "You hung up on me twice. You refused to talk about your dates when before you were anxious and excited to talk about them. You've been acting a little weird of lately. And your personality has drastically changed. You tell me why I shouldn't be worried, baby girl."

She placed her sandwich on her plate and took a deep breath. "I'm sorry I hung up on you. I shouldn't have done that. But I haven't changed, Mark. I'm still the same person I always was." She told him firmly.

Mark straightened to his full height and took a step forward. He moved quite well for a man with a huge brace on his leg. "You have been acting differently, Ashley."

"No I haven't." She spoke through clenched teeth.

"This week you have acted insecure and almost depressed. The Ashley I know is perky and upbeat. She's happy. That hasn't been you this week." His voice was calm, but she could tell it took quite a bit of control to keep it calm.

She shrugged. "It's been a tough week. No big deal."

Mark nodded and took another step closer to her. She felt almost closed in. This man just gave off so much testosterone; she just wanted to jump him. She was losing her mind.

"Tell me about it." He demanded.

Her eyes narrowed. "I don't want to." She clenched her fists in aggravation.

Mark took another step. "You don't want to talk about your week." Mark nodded. "Fine. Tell me about your dates this week then."

She took a slow controlled breath. "I don't want to." She repeated.

Another step and he was in arm's reach. She couldn't step back to make distance between them. She was already against the counter. She felt trapped. She liked it.

"Why?" His voice rose a little.

She shook her head. "I just don't want to." Her voice went up a notch as well.

"Why not, baby girl?" Another octave or two, up it went. He was getting upset.

Well so was she. "Because it's none of your business." She said softly. She didn't want him knowing how stupid she'd been this week.

She saw his fists clench and his jaw tick. "What did you say?" His voice was controlled and it annoyed her.

"It's none of your business, Mark. That's what I said. It's none of your damned business." She practically screamed at him, hoping to get her point across.

"None of my business? Is that what you said?" He asked, taking a menacing step closer.

She held her ground and nodded. "That's exactly what I said. None. Of. Your. Business."

"Well you know what?" His voice was getting higher.

"What?" So was hers.

"I'm making it my damned business." He barked as he curled a large hand around the back of her neck, yanked her against him, and covered her mouth with his.


	16. No Going Back

**OH JUST WOW! AT THE REVIEWS! SO AWESOME! THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU TO GUEST, FIRECRACKER, KEEPER OF OZ, TAMMY, WATEVACRAZYGIRL, KAKASHISHOT, THESILENTARTIST2225, POISENOUSPRINCESS, TANYA2BYOUR21, KEPOUROS, & MAGBRATTS FOR YOUR AMAZING AND WONDERFUL REVIEWS! **

**Oh and Firecracker... we are now at a M rating! Enjoy my lovely readers! **

This chapter's quote:

"_TV has a way of making people seem bigger than they are in real life. But when you meet Undertaker, that is definitely not the case at all He's actually bigger than what you see on TV. His presence in a well-lit room is the same as it is when the lights go out in the arena and the gong hits. Most guys you meet, you kind of measure yourself up to them. As a colleague, when I met Undertaker, I didn't measure myself up to him; and there will never be another Undertaker –and no one should make an attempt to be. He's timeless"._ –Cody Rhodes

Chapter Sixteen  
No Going Back

From the moment I walked into her condo all bets were off. All the talking to myself and those little pep talks I had given myself about keeping my hands to myself were going out the damn window. I didn't know what in the hell she was wearing, but she wasn't going to be wearing it ever again unless in my presence. The shorts were so short that if her sexy little ass had been any bigger, it would be showing out the bottom of her shorts. I knew that if I curved my pinkie finger under the hem, I would be able to touch the very essence of her. Yes, they were that short. And Christ! That little blue top she had on. She didn't have a bra on. Hell, she didn't need one. Her breasts were small and pert and very damn perfect for her small little frame. And I wanted my hands on those perfect little globes. My leg was stiff, but my cock was harder than it had ever been before. She looked so damn innocent with her hair still wet from her recent shower. I wanted my hands in her hair, holding her in place as I took my fill.

Then to hear about the breach in her condo's security and that breach was directed at her condo. This guy was getting closer and closer and now he was trying to break into her home. The police needed to catch this guy before something terrible happened to my baby girl. And then I had to kill someone because if something happened to Ashley, I would kill someone. She just seemed too damn laid back about the whole situation and that was rubbing me the wrong damn way. Why wasn't she more upset than she was? She didn't even seem worried about the breach. I needed to get her the hell away from St. Louis. Orton was right; she needed to come to Texas with me. But how to talk her into it?

She took a bite out of her sandwich and I actually felt jealous of the damn chicken. Her dainty white teeth nibbled on the small piece of meat and I wanted those small teeth on me. I wondered how they would feel on my abdomen and then lower –on my cock. Nibbling and even licking before she sucked me deep into the warm cavern of her mouth. I could already picture her on her knees in front of me, my very hard erection slowly fucking that sweet mouth. Oh shit! I closed my eyes and fought the groan. I was getting hard just thinking of it.

"Why are you here, Mark?"

Her small unsure voice interrupted my thoughts. Thank God. Those thoughts were heading in a dangerous direction. I cleared my throat and opened my eyes; focusing them on her.

"I was worried about you."

"Why?"

She seemed almost confused about that. That was strange.

I cocked my head and shrugged. "You hung up on me twice. You refused to talk about your dates when before you were anxious and excited to talk about them. You've been acting a little weird of lately. And your personality has drastically changed. You tell me why I shouldn't be worried, baby girl."

She let out a sigh that I was sure she was unaware of. She seemed almost worried; maybe scared. She placed her sandwich on her plate and then took a deep breath. "I'm sorry I hung up on you. I shouldn't have done that. But I haven't changed, Mark. I'm still the same person I always was." She told me firmly.

I straightened to display my full height and I took a step towards her. I wanted her to a little trapped because I was hoping it would make her talk. "You have been acting differently, Ashley." I told her.

"No I haven't." She spoke through clenched teeth.

She was. We may not have known each other long but I do know her pretty well. She was going to realize that.

"This week you have acted insecure and almost depressed. The Ashley I know is perky and upbeat. She's happy. That hasn't been you this week." I kept my voice calm but I was feeling anything but.

She shrugged. "It's been a tough week. No big deal."

I nodded and took another step closer to her. "Tell me about it." I was demanding answers.

Her eyes narrowed. "I don't want to." She clenched her fists in aggravation. She was getting upset and hell it was turning me on.

I took another step closer; closing the distance. She was against the counter and had nowhere to run. She was going to talk, about something at least. "You don't want to talk about your week." I nodded. "Fine. Tell me about your dates this week then."

She took a breath; it was deep and even. "I don't want to." She repeated.

Another step and she was in arm's reach. I wanted to reach out and grab a hold of her. She was trapped and I liked it quite a bit. I did not however like that she wouldn't talk to me.

"Why?" My voice rose a little. I couldn't help it.

She shook her head. "I just don't want to." Her voice went up a notch as well. To match mine? I didn't know.

"Why not, baby girl?" I couldn't stop my voice from rising higher. I was getting pissed off and I didn't like that it was directed at her.

"Because it's none of your business." Her voice suddenly went soft. I heard what she said and I didn't like that at all. In fact, it sent me into possessive mode. She was denying me something and I wanted to fight against it. She was denying me a part of her and everything in me was screaming to take control.

My fists clenched and my jaw ticked. "What did you say?" I kept my voice controlled but it was hard.

"It's none of your business, Mark. That's what I said. It's none of your damned business." She practically screamed at me and my body continued to screech at me to take control of the situation.

"None of my business? Is that what you said?" I asked, making sure I heard correctly as I took a menacing step towards her.

She held her ground and nodded. I thought her spunk was cute, but I wasn't in the mood for it. "That's exactly what I said. None. Of. Your. Business."

I know she didn't just say it was none of my business. Everything she did was my damned business because well… because damn it….

"Well you know what?!"

Because… Damn it…

"What?!"

She was mine!

"I'm making it my damned business."

And I was going to make sure she damn well knew it.

I barked as I reached out and curled a large hand around the back of her neck, brought her hard against me, and covered her mouth with mine. She was stiff against me for all of about two seconds before she relaxed against my large frame and opened her mouth for my invasion. And invade I did. I devoured her mouth like I was a starving man and she was my way out of dying a horrible death. I explored the sweetness that I had been craving for weeks on end. I explored it with my tongue, caressing along the inside of her cheeks, running my tongue along her teeth and then teasing her tongue to play with mine. And she did. Her little tongue slowly enticed but I just was too impatient. I sucked her tongue into my mouth and nibbled before releasing it and following it back with my own.

After a few minutes of my aggressive kiss, her small hands came up and fisted the front of my shirt and suddenly kissing her wasn't nearly enough. I lifted her easily, placing her on the counter behind her, fitting myself firmly between her spread legs. She whimpered softly and her hands tightened while my hands got busy. As I continued assault on her mouth, I gripped the bottom of her top and ripped it in two, she gasped in surprise and pleasure as I exposed her to my aroused filled eyes. But first I needed to stop kissing her. I pulled away from her mouth and practically melted on the spot. I cupped her small breasts in my hands and growled.

"My God, you're absolutely fucking perfect." I whispered as I slowly brought one small bud to my mouth. "Just fucking perfect." Just perfect for her frame with small cotton candy pink nipples. Perfect for my mouth too.

I nipped the tip and her head dropped back and another whimper left her throat. I wanted more. I wanted her screaming, moaning, and thrashing. I sucked her into my mouth and she moaned. I sucked harder and she moaned louder. I nibbled, sucked, and licked at her breasts until she was no longer cotton candy pink, but a strawberry red from my mouth and she was whimpering my name. I made my way back up to her mouth, enjoying the sweet taste of her skin as I did so. Christ, she tasted like fucking cotton candy. I buried my large hands into her still damp hair and held her still for another possessive assault on her soft mouth. Her hands were braced on the counter but I wanted them on me. I gripped my own shirt just as I had hers and ripped it in two. I had a bag in my truck. It would be okay. Not like I gave a shit anyway.

I brought her hands to my chest and she immediately took over and began to explore. Her small hands didn't miss an inch of my chest and abdomen. Her fingers flicked my nipples and I in reflex bit down on her lip. She whimpered softly in pain and I pulled back with a curse, but I didn't get far. She pulled me back down and stuck her tongue in my mouth. I groaned, low and guttural. Christ, she was fucking perfect. She continued to explore my chest and I continued to devour her mouth as I cupped her through her shorts. She bucked hard against me and it brought forth another groan. From me!

I hoped she didn't have an attachment to these shorts because I didn't have the patience to take them off the proper way. I wanted them off … Now! In one swift jerk, they were gone along with her tiny little purple panties. I would buy her new ones, I wasn't worried. She opened her mouth as I once again took her in my hand, but this time without a barrier. My name came out of her mouth, long and loud and in the sweetest torturous way. But I was more focused on the warm pussy against my large hand. She was warm and fucking hell, she was wet. I entered her gently with one long finger and another whimper left her throat. Or maybe it was mine. She was tight and hot and oh fucking shit, I wasn't going to last much longer.

I had been ignoring my dick, but it was now throbbing in protest, wanting out and in Ashley. In her tight warmth where I was sure she was going to squeeze me within every inch of my long cock. My dick was becoming so damned impatient, I was afraid my zipper was going to be imbedded in my cock. With one finger still deep inside Ashley; moving slowly in and out, I used my other hand to awkwardly unbutton and unzip my jeans. I added another finger to join the first and stretched her almost to the point of pain.

"Mark. Mark. Mark." She whimpered my name again and again as she bucked against my hand and thrashed her head. She was so close to cumming and she was falling apart in my arms.

"I know, baby girl. I'm on it. I promise I'll make it up to you next time." I promised, removing my fingers to push down my jeans, my cock springing up, ready to play.

She whimpered again and I looked into her eyes. She was breathing hard and ragged, her face and chest flushed with desire. Her sweet pussy was glistening with her arousal. I wanted my mouth on her. I wanted to taste her so bad, I was nearly salivating. Her eyes were on my dick and in response, a drop of pre-cum beaded on the tip. I watched almost in slow motion as Ashley reached out, barely touching the head she managed to capture that one small drop and brought it to her mouth, sucking it off her finger. My head roared and I slammed my mouth against hers, I took her mouth in a demanding assault. I didn't ask for a damn thing, I fucking took it. She didn't deny me, in fact she gave it to me openly. And that urged me on more.

With one quick thrust I was deep inside her tight wet sheath and I was in fucking heaven. She screamed as I entered her and I felt like an ass. I knew I was hurting her. There was no way around it. She was tight, tighter than I had ever had before and I was in no means small. I was a big guy and I was properly portioned. She whimpered against my mouth.

"Relax, baby girl. Just relax. Let your sweet pussy get use to the invasion, baby girl. Fuck, you're so damned tight." I murmured against her mouth.

My eyes rolled back in my head as her muscles fluttered and flexed around me, making it tighter around my dick.

"Mmmmmark."

Fuck! When she whimpered my name like that my brain and my dick forgot all about everything. I opened her mouth with my tongue as I pulled out and thrust back in slow and easy. She rolled her hips and my mind went numb. She was fucking with me and she didn't even know. I cupped her ass with my large hands and pulled her flush against me, bringing me even deeper inside.

I slowly withdrew and as I drove back into her, she pushed up and twisted her hips first this way and then that, wrenching a growl of pleasure from me. The walls of her pussy clenched tight, gripping me inside. My reaction was instantaneous. I groaned and drove into her harder, compensating for the added tightness. My fingers tightened on her ass as I continued to plunge inside her warm sheath, and I could feel her tighten and flutter around my cock. She was so close. Her whimpers and moans got louder and louder. I sped up my thrusts so I was thrusting faster and harder and she clung to me, her nails digging into my skin as I slammed into her harder. She suddenly screamed my name as her inner walls clamped down around my cock, and wild waves of release shook her body. I roared my own release as my arms tightened on her.

Her head was buried against the curve of my neck as she clung to me. My own body shook just as much as hers and all I could think was that wasn't enough. I wanted her again and again. My leg was already screaming at me but I ignored it as I picked her up, still buried deep within her and carried her to her bedroom and then straight to her bathroom. I gently placed her on the counter and brushed a kiss across her mouth. To my relief, she kissed me back.

She had been quiet but I needed her to talk to me. It was never my intention to fuck her in her kitchen on the counter and I was completely guilty for going fast and keeping it wild so she wouldn't have time to tell me to stop. I would have at any time she told me to, but it would have killed me. So I needed to make sure she didn't have any regrets because I sure as hell didn't. I pulled back and begin to take off the brace from my leg.

"Um… Mark?"

I looked up at the sound of her voice; small, sweet, and definitely sexy. Her hair was tangled and tousled, her eyes soft and filled with pleasure, her skin red and covered in a fine sheen of sweat. Damn, she was beautiful.

"Yea, baby girl?" I asked tentatively.

She swallowed hard and blushed. That made me smile. What we just did and she blushed, damn I wanted her again. "Um… I just wanted to… um…"

I took off the brace and set it down. I walked over to her, leaned down, and brushed her mouth with mine. "You can tell me anything, baby girl. Especially after we just did and what I'm fixing to do." I teased her, enjoying the sight when another blush stole over her sensitive flesh. I used a thumb to caress one velvety cheek.

"I'm on birth control." She whispered softly.

My eyes slammed shut instantly. Shit! I can't believe I forgot the fucking condom. What the fuck was I thinking? I wasn't thinking, that was the problem. I was too preoccupied with Ashley and …oh shit!

I opened my eyes and focused my attention on Ashley, cradling her face between my palms, I held her eyes with mine. "Baby girl, I have never had unprotected sex with anyone except my wife. Please believe me when I tell you that I am completely clean." I pleaded with her.

She nodded. "Me too."

I nodded and then tensed as the next thought rolled through my mind. "Why are you on birth control?" I asked slowly and gently, not wanting to piss her off. But I hoped she hadn't slept with Jordan because I would kill him.

She licked her lips. "I've been on birth control since I was sixteen. An awkward moment between my father and me. He wanted to make sure while I just wanted to die from embarrassment." She told me, turning red.

I sighed in relief before crushing her lips under mine. She sighed and relaxed into me, opening her mouth in surrender. My cock was hard again. I wanted her again. And I wanted her in the shower. A couple of minutes later I was finally naked and in the shower with Ashley. I gently washed her hair, taking great care not to pull or tangle her brown locks. Her head fell back and she moaned, which made me grin. After I finished her hair, I washed her body using my hands instead of her puff thing. I already brought her to climax twice, but I wanted more. My leg was aching and I thanked God for pain medicine because I was going to need it, but right now I was focused on Ashley. I lifted her easily; she wrapped her legs around my waist as I thrust inside her wet sheath. Her arms wrapped around my neck and she nipped and sucked at the curve of my shoulder. So I returned the favor. I was sure I had left a hickey on her collarbone and for the first time in my life, I hoped I did. She was mine and I wanted everyone to know it.

* * *

Once I got her 'clean' and dried off, I swept her up into my arms and carried her to the bed, laying her gently in the center of the mattress, and lowered myself on top of her. Hovering just inches above her, my mouth found hers and I kissed her long and hard, our tongues mating with each other. The sweet taste of her was intoxicating, but it wasn't enough now, I had to taste more of her.

"You're so fucking gorgeous." I murmured against the soft flesh of her lips. My hand trailed down her body, lingering at the curve of her hip.

Her body tensed as I took a taut breast in my mouth and began to suckle. My pull increased and my tongue grazed her hardening nipple, drawing out a sharp intake of air. Ashley arched her back, forcing me to take more of her into my mouth, a small little mouthful. I teased her perfect little tits until she was moaning my name and beyond holding still.

I wanted nothing more than to take her hard and fast, to hear her scream my name once again as her body trembled beneath me while she came, but fuck, I wanted a taste of her sweet, sensitive flesh and I wasn't waiting another second to get that taste. I released her taut breast from my mouth and kissed my way slowly across her stomach, stopping only to nip and suck at the small curve of her belly. Her stomach was flat, but she had that small curve that made her a woman. I pressed on her knees and she spread her legs in invitation, revealing the pink rosy flesh of her sex that begged to be tasted, to be caressed, to be fucked. The scent of her drove me wild and made my cock grow impossibly harder. Taking her with one long luscious lick, and with slow deliberate movements, I masterfully stroked her swollen bud with the tip of my tongue.

I had never before enjoyed the taste of cotton candy, but now, fucking Christ it was my favorite flavor. She tasted like cotton candy all over and her flesh was the same color. It should be illegal.

A smile crept up the corner of my mouth as Ashley's little body shuddered in response to my touch. Dragging my fingers across the slick wet folds of her pussy, I slid one finger deep into her core and pulled harder on her clit, drawing out moans of pleasure as I took all of her into my mouth. Ashley's hips moved in time with the slow thrusts of my finger, eliciting a deep guttural moan as I caressed an intimate, sensitive spot deep within. The sensation increased as I slid a second finger into her moist opening, keeping her suspended on the edge of climax. I withdrew my fingers and tongued the entrance, licking up all the pearly cream I'd drawn from her.

"Come for me, baby girl." I whispered against her skin before I gently stroked the folds of her pussy and leaned in to fuck her with my tongue. Her body arched into my mouth as my tongue moved in and out of her at a slow and steady pace, torturing her with each movement I made. Ashley choked back a cry of pleasure when the rough pad of my finger rubbed against her swollen clit, sending her over the edge.

"Oh God." She cried and her hips jerked as a hard climax coursed through her body. Ashley spasmed as my tongue continued to slide in and out of her, lapping up her juices as she came in my mouth. Yep, cotton candy was definitely my new favorite flavor. She tasted so damn good.

Once the climax lost its hold on her body, she suddenly came up. "It's my turn now."

I cocked an eyebrow but laid down on my back as I did so. She came up and straddled my hips and licked her lips. "My turn." She bowed her head and leaned over to kiss me hard on the mouth, tasting herself on my lips as she drew my tongue into her mouth and sucked. She was getting brazen. She was fucking perfect. She ran her hands across my shoulders and down my arms. "I love your tattoos." She murmured before continuing on. She worked her way down my body, letting her skin slide sensually across the contours of my hard muscles. My cock twitched as she grasped the base of my dick and this time she licked the droplet of pre-cum that had formed on the tip. Inch by inch she took me into her mouth until the plump head of my cock hit the back of her throat. Ashley looked up at me through half lidded eyes as she sucked almost the entire length of my cock into her mouth.

"Oh fuck yeah." A low guttural moan escaped my lips as I fisted her hair and thrust myself further down her throat. My balls tightened and I could feel my own climax coming hard and fast as Ashley cupped my balls and took me even deeper into her mouth. But I didn't want to come, not yet. I wanted to be inside her, feeling her soft flesh pulsing around me once again. With one swift movement, I grabbed Ashley by the arms and flipped her onto her stomach.

"Is this okay?" My voice husky in her ear.

"Please." She moaned, tilting her hips up to me in invitation.

"Tell me what you want." I teased, running my fingers along the length of her pussy before spearing two of them deep into her core.

She whimpered. "You." She gasped.

Positioning myself between her thighs, I pushed the head of my cock between her velvety folds, and in one swift stroke, buried myself balls deep into her tight wet sex. I hissed. "You're so goddamn tight." I moaned as her muscles contracted around him. "Is this what you want?" I asked as I slowly thrust in and out of her, stretching and filling every inch of her.

"Harder." She hissed pushing back against me, and driving me deeper inside her. She was just fucking perfect.

My strokes became harder and faster –I was unable to go slow– eliciting a moan of pleasure from her as I took her from behind. "Come for me again, baby girl." I murmured softly in her ear as I reached around and found her clit, swollen with desire. Stroking it gently with the tip of my finger, I smiled and moaned when I felt her pussy clench tightly around my cock as another climax tore through her little frame. Ashley screamed my name as her orgasm crashed over her body and my own orgasm quickly followed. I slowed my strokes and rolled her clit gently between the tips of my fingers, drawing out her orgasm to an impossible length. "Did you like that?" I murmured, letting my hands trail across the soft curves of her buttocks.

"Mmmm." She whimpered slightly and buckled onto the mattress.

Grinning, I slowly pulled out of her and collapsed beside her, pulling her into my arms. Her breathing went deep and even almost immediately signaling she had fallen asleep in my arms. My leg was screaming in pain, but I ignored it as best I as could and fell asleep with her snuggled against me.

* * *

A few hours later, I slipped out of the bed and tugged on my jeans, pulled on my stolen hoodie and walked stiffly and jerkily to my truck. Even though I went by elevator, it was a long damn trip. I grabbed my bag and headed back up the stairs. When I entered Ashley's condo, the first thing I noticed was the smell. Ashley was up and she was cooking. And by my nose, it was ham. Oh how I just loved those ham sandwiches. I dropped my bag at the entrance of the foyer and headed to the kitchen. Ashley had slipped into a long t-shirt and she was frying up ham in the frying pan, which was slightly different but I didn't care. She looked damn sexy wearing my t-shirt. I knew it was mine but I wondered where she got it. I didn't think I had left any behind. Grinning, I felt something swell inside my chest at the thought of her 'stealing' my shirt like she stole my hoodie. I liked her wearing my clothes. It showed others she was mine. And soon, she would know it as well. Since she was up, I guess it would be the perfect time to talk about what just happened.

"Smells delicious, baby girl." I told her as I wrapped my arms around her and pulled her against me.

She let out a heavy sigh. I turned her around and lifted her onto the counter. I nudged her legs apart and stepped between them. She held up a hand and I raised an eyebrow.

"Can we talk about what just happened?" She asked cautiously.

I nodded slowly, kissing her forehead. "Do you regret it?" I held my breath, waiting for her answer.

She shook her head. "No I don't regret any of it." She said, blushing.

I grinned, releasing the breath I was holding. "Especially not the shower?" I teased playfully.

Her blushed deepened and I laughed. She impishly slapped my arm and I feigned being hurt. She rolled her eyes. "Definitely not the shower." She replied softly. "What does it mean?" She whispered, becoming more serious.

"What does what mean, baby girl?"

She lowered her head, avoiding my eyes. "I don't … I mean I'm not…" She paused and took a deep breath. "I don't… I'm not … You're not gonna share me, are you? With the others?" She finally managed to stutter out.

I inhaled sharply. "What!? Fuck no! Baby girl, why would you think that?"

I was shock to the core to say the least. I had no idea what would make her think I would do that, share her. She had to be kidding. I once again cupped her face between my palms and made her look me in the eye. "Baby girl, I am not sharing you with anybody. That includes but isn't limited to Orton, Cena, Jacobs, and most especially Jordan. You are mine. This wasn't a one time thing, baby girl." I told her firmly.

She nodded slowly. "I broke up with Jordan." Was her reply.

I inhaled sharply and then sighed in relief. "That's a damn good thing, but I can ask why?" I asked softly. I knew something had happened to make her call things off, but I wanted to know what had happened so I had a good reason to kill him.

She shook her head between my palms and I released her face. "He was a jerk and I had a feeling he was going to be very controlling."

I nodded. "Why?"

"He showed up every day at Harley's around lunch time. He got upset when my full attention wasn't on him and so on. He was too overbearing."

I snorted. If he was too overbearing, she hadn't been around me enough. Now that she was mine, I wasn't about to let her slip through my fingers.

"My ham is burning. Can I get it?" A small grin teased her lips. I brushed a kiss across her mouth and nodded, stepping back before helping her down from the counter. When she got flat on her feet I was suddenly floored with how freaking little she was. Damn, and the way I fucked her earlier. It's a surprise I didn't hurt her.

We spent the next few minutes in silence when she suddenly gasped and looked at the clock. "Crap! I forgot!" She exclaimed, jumping up and running to her bedroom. Puzzled, I followed her. When I reached her doorway, she was pulling on another t-shirt –sans bra– and a pair of shorts that were too short followed the shirt. She slipped into a pair of flip flops and came to stand in front of me.

"Move please. I need to run down to Harley's." She informed me.

"Why?" I was curious.

She bit down on her lower lip and tried to duck behind me. I caught her easily, picking her up so her legs wrapped around my waist. I caught the wince of pain on her face and I flinched in response. "Are you sore?" I asked concerned.

She shrugged, her hands coming to rest on my shoulders. "A little, but I'm okay. I promise. But I do have to run to Harley's." She said, kissing my cheek and wiggling out of my arms. I let her go and followed her back into the kitchen where she grabbed her keys and cell phone.

"Why do you need to run to Harley's?" I asked.

She ducked her head and practically ran to the door. "I have to talk to Eric." She muttered as she opened the foyer door.

I followed quickly, my leg still screaming in protest. I had yet to take a pain pill. My doctor was going to kill me. "Why do you need to talk to Eric, Baby girl?" I raised my voice slightly to let her know that she wasn't not going to answer me.

She stopped and turned to look at me. She was nervous as hell. "Because… well… I… um…"

I chuckled, pulling her into my arms. "You haven't a reason to be nervous just tell me." I assured her.

She nodded. "I kind of have a date with … Eric." She muttered against my chest.

My large body tensed and tightened. I wanted to roar in outrage and chain her to the bed. She was mine and I was tired of others thinking she was theirs. I leaned back so I could look into her brown eyes and what I saw I didn't like. She was telling the truth and she planned to go on this date right after we fu– we had sex. I didn't fucking think so. I shook my head.

"I don't think so, baby girl. Did you not hear me earlier when I said that you were… um… MINE!" I roared the last word and she flinched. She pushed against my chest and I decided to let her go. Her hands came to rest on her hips that were cocked in an angle. She was mad as hell and I was finding that my little chef was a spitfire and I quite liked it.

"First off… YOU don't own me. I'm not a piece of property. Secondly, if you would just listen without jumping to conclusions –the wrong conclusions than you would know that I was going to tell Eric that I couldn't go out with him."

She was sexy when upset but I was still too upset to pay much attention. "And you can't call him because…" I replied, being a smart ass.

She narrowed her eyes in annoyance and something else I couldn't name and maybe I didn't want to. "We've been friends forever, Mark. I can't tell him this over the phone." The words were said with sorrow and I wanted to choke Eric with my bare hands for drawing this kind of emotion from my baby girl. This emotion was so strong there was no way I could deny her.

I nodded slowly. "Let me come with you." I offered.

She shook her head. "No. Not for this please. I'll introduce you to him later and you'll see for yourself that he's harmless, but until then. Please." She pleaded with me.

Again I nodded. "But if you're not back in an hour, then I'm coming to find you. Are we clear?"

She sighed in relief and her body relaxed in front of me. She threw herself at me and I pulled her up and in my arms. "Thank you Mark."

I gave her a hard kiss and watched her walk out of the door.

An hour later and several phone calls later, I grabbed my truck keys and cell phone, locked up Ashley's condo and headed towards Harley's. I called her over a dozen times and last few times, it went straight to voice mail. My nerves were shot and I was slowly losing it. As I pulled onto the street where Harley's was located, my heart stopped. Police cars were everywhere. I parked my truck and thanks to the pill I took as soon as Ashley left, I ran over to Jason with my leg only protesting a little bit. I looked around the street and only saw a few people that I recognized. None of them Ashley. I had met her boss, Jason once and he was there along with an older man that looked a lot like Jason. I was sure that was the original owner, Harley. There was crime scene tape marking off a certain spot beside Harley's back door to the kitchen area and I thought I was going to be sick. In the middle of the sidewalk was a small puddle of red. Blood red.

"Where's Ashley?" I asked Jason as soon as I reached his side.

Jason gave me a grave look and shook his head. "I don't know. I heard a scream– well it wasn't quite a scream, maybe a loud gasp like sound and I came out and discovered Ashley's keys next to the blood. I immediately called the police."

I couldn't breathe. I couldn't fucking breathe. I felt like my world was being pulled out from underneath me. And I wasn't sure if I would ever get her back.


	17. Pain & Blackness

**THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU TO KEEPER OF OZ, KAKASHISHOT, KEPOUROS, FIRECRACKER, HEERAH34, MAGBRATTS, WATEVACRAZYGIRL, TAMMY, TANYA2BYOUR21, & SOAGIRLFOREVER FOR YOUR LOVELY REVIEWS! **

This chapter's quote:

"_I'll never forget the first time I contested a match with Undertaker one-on-one. I was one of the Edgeheads, and Edge was in a heated rivalry with The Phenom. I was in the ring first, and then, the gong hits– and flames and the fireballs start coming up. I was legit scared. Then, he comes in and his eyes roll back and I'm like, 'Dude, this is really happening.' I still go back and watch that match from time to time and think, 'Whoa, I was in the ring with the Deadman!' Undertaker is someone who has evolved with the times. He's not one of those Superstars who come back from the 80s, and it's the same old thing you've seen before. He's stayed in shape, and he's able to go toe-to-toe with the top Superstars in the company from decade to decade. That's something I've learned from him. You always have to change with the times and evolve, and not stay flat."_ –Zach Ryder

Chapter Seventeen  
Pain & Blackness

**Saturday May 25, 2013**

We had sex! We had sex! WE! HAD! SEX! And it was completely awesome! The best she had ever in fact. And to make it even better, hell what it made absolutely perfect was that she wasn't just a notch in his bed post, he wasn't using her and he didn't want to share her. No, he wanted her. HER! She couldn't believe it. Mark Calaway had a thing for her! She was dancing on cloud nine and she was floating on air. She didn't know how long he would want her, but she was tickled pink for as long as he wanted her.

She watched him in silence as he ate his ham sandwich and just felt this wave of something she didn't recognize wash over her. He was truly amazing and wonderful and sweet and loving and kind and … he wanted her. She took a deep breath and started eating her own hot ham sandwich, but her thoughts were still on Mark. He was just so … she almost laughed at the thought of Mark knowing that she thought he was perfect. He would laugh at her and tell her she was crazy, but he was. He was just the perfect male specimen. Although his muscular form wasn't what attracted her to him in the beginning. He was funny and sweet and had this awesome personality. His sexy hard body was just a bonus. And he wasn't anything like Jordan. Or Eric for – Crap!

"Crap! I forgot!" She was such a dunce! She couldn't believe she hadn't forgotten about Eric and her date with him tonight. Not noticing Mark's puzzled look, she jumped up and ran for her bedroom. She quickly grabbed a t-shirt, forgoing the bra for now. She was pulling on a pair of shorts when she noticed Mark in the doorway. Would he understand? Would he be mad? She would explain everything to Mark once she got back. She could simply call Eric and explain but they had been friends for so long that she just couldn't dump him at the last minute. She had to explain to Eric in person why Mark was so important to her and because of that she had to break their date. She didn't want any hard feelings between them; after all they did work together. She slipped into a pair of flip flops and stopped in front of Mark.

She took a deep breath. "Move please. I need to run down to Harley's." She was firm. Or so she thought.

"Why?"

Crap!

She bit down on her lower lip and tried to duck behind him. He –being bigger– caught her easily, picking her up and her legs instantly wrapped around his waist. She couldn't stop the flinch of pain that came over her face. He was really big and having sex with him had been such a pleasurable experience but it had hurt too. She wasn't used to a man his size. But it had been very worth it. All of it.

"Are you sore?" She could tell he was concerned.

She shrugged, her hands coming to rest on his shoulders. "A little, but I'm okay. I promise. But I do have to run to Harley's." She said, kissing his cheek and wiggling out of his arms. Thankfully, he let her go and she headed straight for the kitchen to grab her keys and cell phone. It wouldn't take her long as long as traffic cooperated with her.

"Why do you need to run to Harley's?" Mark's curious voice broke through the silence. She wanted to tell him, but she didn't want him to freak either over this.

She ducked her head and walked fast to the door. "I have to talk to Eric." She muttered as she opened the foyer door.

She knew Mark was on her heels. She felt bad because she knew his leg must be hurting and she wasn't helping it.

"Why do you need to talk to Eric, Baby girl?" She grimaced at the sound of his raised voice.

She stopped and turned to look at him, her heart fluttering at the sight of him. She was nervous. She wanted to tell him, but could she?

"Because… well… I… um…"

He chuckled with amusement, pulling her into massive arms. "You haven't a reason to be nervous just tell me."

He was trying to assure her and it was working. She would tell him. He would understand.

She nodded. "I kind of have a date with … Eric." She muttered against his chest.

She immediately felt him tense and she squeezed her eyes shut tight in response. What was he going to say? Was he going to be mad? Flip out on her? She felt him lean back and she opened her eyes to meet his beautiful green ones as soon as she did and he was shaking his head. That couldn't be good.

"I don't think so, baby girl. Did you not hear me earlier when I said that you were… um… MINE!" He practically screamed the last word at her and she couldn't help but flinch. She pushed against his chest and he let go of her. She was mad and damn it, he was going to know it.

"First off… YOU don't own me. I'm not a piece of property. Secondly, if you would just listen without jumping to conclusions –the wrong conclusions than you would know that I was going to tell Eric that I couldn't go out with him."

She just detested when people jumped to the wrong conclusions and this was her Mark jumping to those conclusions. She didn't want him mad at her, but damn it, she wasn't his property and she wasn't going to let him control her.

"And you can't call him because…"

She narrowed her eyes in annoyance and sadly she wasn't able to keep the sadness from creeping in her chocolate brown eyes. She had to _see_ Eric. She had to explain to him about everything. She didn't want to hurt him. "We've been friends forever, Mark. I can't tell him this over the phone." She was also unable to keep the sadness from sneaking into her voice.

He nodded slowly. "Let me come with you." She knew he meant well, but she needed to do this on her own.

She shook her head. "No. Not for this please. I'll introduce you to him later and you'll see for yourself that he's harmless, but until then. Please." She pleaded with him.

Again he nodded. "But if you're not back in an hour, then I'm coming to find you. Are we clear?"

She sighed in relief and her body relaxed in relief. She threw herself at him and he took her in his arms. "Thank you Mark." She told him appreciatively.

He gave her a hard kiss and she quickly walked out the door. She just hoped he didn't change his mind before she was out of the building. He definitely seemed the type. She smiled at the thought of Mark running down the stairs telling her to 'wait'. It was a classic romance movie moment. Definitely not real life, but who needed fantasy when she had a man like Mark wanting a woman like her.

She made it to the restaurant in ten minutes, thankfully traffic was fully cooperative and she made it in record time. Although of course it did help that she lived close to Harley's in the first place. She parked her car, pocketed her cell phone, grabbed her keys and headed inside. She looked around the parking lot and smiled. Everyone was here and she loved seeing her friends. She went through the kitchen entrance, down the little hall way to stand at the entrance to the kitchen and immediately took in her surroundings. The only person missing from the kitchen was Megan. Ashley shrugged. She was probably in the ladies' room or talking to Jason.

"Hi Ashley! Thought you were off this weekend?" Antonio asked with a smirk. "You just couldn't stay away, could you?" He teased.

She stuck out her tongue. "Ha Ha! Back to work, Antonio." She told him in a sing-song voice that she knew would irk him. He curled his lip, winked, and went back to cooking.

She focused her attention on Rainie who looked proud of herself. She should definitely be proud of herself. She kicked Jordan's butt! And it was hilarious!

"Hey Rainie! How's the right hook?" She teased playfully.

Rainie smiled. "It feels pretty good. A little bit of a big head after kicking Jordan's ass, but other than that we're both feeling happy."

Ashley smiled in return. "You deserve the big head. You kicking Jordan's butt was the highlight of my week." She replied.

_That is until her and Mark hooked up. _

After exchanging a few more words with Rainie and Antonio once again, she gave Eric her full attention. He had been quiet up until now, silently watching her and probably wondering what she was doing here. She gave him a small timid smile and a little finger wave. He cocked an eyebrow in return.

"Can I talk to you for a minute?" She asked.

He nodded slowly, told the guys he would be right back, and ushered Ashley towards the door she had just went through. But she couldn't wait until they got outside.

"I can't make our date tonight. I know it's short notice and I could have called, but I just had to explain to you in person –"

Eric interrupted her with gentle ease. "It's Mark, right?"

She stopped abruptly and looked at him in confusion. "How did you know?"

He pushed her towards the door once again and she started walking again. "When you were explaining everything to me yesterday, your face just lit up when you mentioned Mark. He must be something quite special." He stated smoothly as he opened the door and Ashley stepped through.

Looking over her shoulder, she nodded. "He is –."

She was once again cut off but this time by a sudden sharp pain in her abdomen. She didn't understand the pain. It hurt really bad; she saw little black dots dancing in front of her eyes and her vision went blurry and she was sure she was going to throw up. She should have been scared, but the pain was so overwhelming that she couldn't focus on anything but acute amount pain running through her veins. She could feel the blood trickling down her stomach and into the waist band of her shorts as the pain went up another notch. Then one thought flooded her mind. She was going to die. She was going to die a painful lonely death. Right here on the sidewalk at Harley's.

She heard Eric's voice first. Although he sounded horrified, his voice was familiar.

"What the fuck are you doing? Have you lost your mind?"

Then she heard a snicker and then a breath caressed her cheek as whatever was buried in her gut, moved; twisted.

"You know you're a tough one to kill."

The voice was cruel and cold. Her last thought before she blacked out from the pain; the voice belonged to a woman.

* * *

She was cold. She was so very cold. She tried to open her eyes, but she wasn't able to. It felt as though her eyelids weighed a ton and oh God the pain! It was unbearable. Her stomach was on fire and at the same time she felt numb. And so very cold. She tried to move her arms and she wasn't able to do that either. Once again she tried to open her eyes to take in her surroundings but she failed. She wasn't able to do anything, but let the blackness take her under.

The next time she came to, she heard voices. Loud angry voices. They were screaming at each other. One female, one male, both familiar, but who were they. She tried to fight the pain and the darkness as it threatened to take her once more, but she wasn't successful.

Pain in her side. That was what pulled her out from the black this time. Pain in her side and the cold, clamminess on her skin. She felt nauseous, the overpowering urge to vomit was strong, the sour taste in her mouth making it worse. Something hard pressed against her stomach, sending a violent wave of pain through her system and she instantly threw up and blacked out once again.

She woke up vomiting all over herself. She wasn't able to stop even though it hurt. Oh God, it hurt! She threw up until it was nothing but dry heaves.

Through the blackness and the pain, she heard the voices again.

"She needs a doctor! Fuck she needs a damn hospital. She's gonna die."

She knew that voice. It was Eric. What? Why was he here? She whimpered from the pain and tried to curl into herself. Now that she was waking up a little more, the pain was beyond horrible. It was crippling.

"Newsflash Eric! I want her dead!"

It was the same female voice she heard in her ear. Oh god, why did she sound so familiar. Ashley heaved again and then moaned from the pain.

"You can't mean that." He was in denial.

The female laughed. Evil and cold. Colder than she had ever heard. Colder than what she felt inside. "I do mean that. I want her to suffer. She was getting on my nerves. She's very hard to kill."

"What? All those times, it was you?"

She opened her eyes but the pain was too much and they immediately slammed shut. Who was this woman?

"Uh, duh! I hired someone to attack her at the wrestling crap she and her fucking _father_ like so well, but he failed. Then I put snake root in her food, but that didn't work. Then I shot at her and that didn't work either. When I tried to break into her apartment and failed, that was the last straw. She needs to die, Eric."

Why did this woman hate her so much? Ashley tried to open her eyes, but it hurt too badly. Another wave hit and she began to heave some more. Groaning in pain, all she could do was let the pain take her. But she so badly wanted to know who this female was. The one that hated her so much. Who was she?

"What the hell did she ever do to you that would make you do this?" Eric was confused, concerned, and downright bewildered.

"She ruined my life!" She spat out.

How did she ruin her life? She didn't know her. Did she? She wasn't sure anymore. Her head was spinning and the pain was excruciating.

"How did she ruin your life, Megan?"

Megan? Megan? From work? That Megan? Why would that Megan want her dead? She was so very confused and it hurt her to think. Hell, it hurt to move. Oh it hurt. Ashley whimpered again.

"She's been ruining my life since the day she was born."

_What?_

"What? I don't get it." Eric replied, honestly confused .

"It was always her. From the very moment she was conceived, it was always HER!"

"Megan, I don't understand. Explain it to me, please."

She heard Megan let a heavy sigh. "From the moment I discovered I was pregnant, everyone's only concern was for her. No one cared what I wanted."

"You're Ashley's mother?"

Megan laughed. "Yep." She responded, popping the 'p'. "I'm her dear old momma."

"Ashley didn't know?"

"Of course not, you moron. Her precious father wouldn't let me near her."

"Why?"

Another heavy sigh. "It was me. I didn't want her. I didn't want to give everything up for one fucking mistake."

"I thought it was your parents that didn't want the baby. That's what I had been told."

Megan chuckled. "Yes that's what they made everybody believe, but in reality it was me that didn't want her. I was ready for the abortion but that was forbidden in my family. They finally convinced me to keep her. Well Ben finally convinced me, telling me that we would put her up for adoption and get on with our lives." She sneered.

"But he changed his mind?"

"HA! HE LIED! That son of a bitch lied to me."

"Okay, he lied to you. What happened?" Eric suddenly sounded panicked and she wondered why. If only she could speak up, say something. But it hurt too much and she was too weak.

"I gave birth to her," Megan hissed. "It was the worst six hours of my life. The doctors said it was the quickest labor they had ever seen, but what do they know. I had never felt such awful pain for before. And all I could think was that it was finally over. Imagine my surprise when Ben takes the baby in his arms and falls the fuck apart. The idiot cried like a damn baby. Then he told me that he was keeping her. He had already talk to my parents and his own and they were all for it. He had planned on keeping the little brat all along and he never wanted anything to do with me. I was pissed. I was so fuckING PISSED!"

"I can understand why you were mad, Megan, but please put down the gun."

Ashley started to shake like Eric's voice was. She had a gun and she was her mother and she hated her and she had gun. She had a gun on Eric. Megan was her mother! And she had a gun on Eric. Megan was her mother! And she hated her own daughter. Ashley couldn't wrap her head around it. Maybe because it hurt too bad to think.

"You know I even tried to change for Ben. I thought maybe if I tried to be a better mother than Ben would want me back, but he didn't want me near her. He said I wasn't good enough and he didn't want me anywhere near HIS daughter. HIS daughter! She was my daughter TOO!"

Ashley moaned in pain as Megan –she was guessing it was Megan– kicked whatever Ashley was lying on. Ashley was jolted hard and it sent another wave of pain through her system and she slid once more into oblivion.

When she woke up again, she heard Eric first.

"She's dying, Megan. Let's leave her here. You wanted her to suffer, she's suffering bad right now. We can leave her here and take off. Just you and me."

"Don't try it, Eric."

"I'm not trying anything, Megan. I'm in this with you now. I'm just as guilty as you are now. We'll go to prison if we're caught, so let's run.

"Just you and me?"

"Just you and me."

That was all she heard before blacking out again.

When she woke up again, it was silent. She didn't know what happened to Eric or Megan, but they must have left her. She couldn't believe Eric would leave her like this but what did she expect. She had just dumped on him before she was stabbed. She couldn't believe all this time, she was working side by side with her mother. She tried to think if her dad had ever met Megan, but she didn't believe so. Her dad didn't come to Harley's often but when he did, he stayed in the dining room. She tried to think of some similarities between her and Megan, but besides their cooking talents they were complete opposites. Megan was tall and beautiful while Ashley was short and just plain. She looked like her dad, but he was tall too. How come she wasn't taller? She whimpered as she thought of her dad. She wasn't going to ever see him again and just thinking about him made her want to cry out in fury. How could Megan do this to her? Take her away from all she loved and knew. She knew her dad must be worried sick, but there wasn't anything she could do.

She was going to die here, where ever here was, alone, afraid, cold, and in a lot of pain. She couldn't stop the tears from falling down her cheeks as she pictured her dad watching Monday night Raw without her. She would never see him again. She would never know if he won his big case or if he ever got remarried. She would never again be able to give him a hug or tell him she loved him. She would never again be able to cook his favorite dinner or fix him her ham sandwiches. Her dad would never truly know how much she loved him, how much she appreciated him and all he had done for her. He would never know that the mother of his child was the one that took her life.

She would never see Mark again either. She would never get to feel his skin against hers. She would never get to touch his massive chest while he was deep inside her. She would never get to see his smile or hear him laugh again. She would never be able to tell him how much she truly cared for him. She would never be able to tell him that she had fallen in love with the Phenom, the American Bad Ass, with Mark. He was one of a kind and she loved him. She really loved him. She loved him so much it hurt.

She couldn't move. She felt paralyzed from the top of her head to the tips of her toes. She felt heavy, weighed down, and uneasy. Every breath was getting harder to draw and she could feel her pulse becoming weaker. The pain was gone, but the blackness took her under once again...


	18. Ben & Mark

**THANK YOU TO THESILENTARTIST225, KAKASHISHOT, KEEPER OF OZ, KEPOUROS, SOAGIRLFOREVER, TAMMY, PRINCESSMOLLIE, FIRECRACKER, TANYA2BYOUR21, & CHANEL FOR YOUR FABULOUS REVIEWS! **

No quote this chapter... I think there's one more left and I just might save it for the very last chapter!

Mark isn't mine... I wish he were!

Chapter Eighteen  
Ben & Mark

**Monday Night May 27, 2013**

I opened my eyes and came face first with Orton and then Cena. On instinct I growled and sat up. My head went to pounding and I felt a little dizzy.

"You fucking sedated me!" I practically yelled at my ex-friends.

Orton shook his head. "No, we drugged you."

Cena snickered. "Then we sedated you."

I snarled at them and tried to stand up. I instantly swayed and my two friends were right there to catch me and plant me back on the hospital bed. I was not a happy camper. I was pissed. Ashley was missing and she was hurt and these assholes had me drugged and sedated. I was beyond pissed.

"This was his idea, wasn't it?" I roared, holding my head in agony. They nodded. "Where is he?" I asked.

"He took off earlier this morning. He had a match tonight so he wasn't able to skip Raw."

I growled. "He was too much of a fucking coward to face me when I woke up in other words." I replied.

They both shrugged sheepishly.

I turned to glare at Orton and Cena. "What the fuck is wrong with you two? I need to be out there searching for Ashley. Not in here sleeping."

I held my head in my hands and groaned. God, I felt groggy and completely out of it. While I had been sleeping the day away, my little chef was out there somewhere hurt and maybe on the verge of dying. I shook my head and groan when my brain protested the violent movement.

"You were out of control, Mark. The police were talking about arresting you. Then where would Ashley be? She's going to need you when they find her." Cena replied softly.

"And they _will _find her, Mark. Alive, but she's going to need you there by her side." Orton added.

"You can't do that in a jail cell." Cena bit out.

"What the fuck do you want me to do?" I snapped at them both, groaning when my head protested the sudden movement.

"We want you–"

They were cut off when my phone rang. Without looking up, I motioned with my hand to hand me my cell. I didn't recognize the number, but I answered it anyway. Ashley was missing and it could be her.

"Yea?"

"Mark Calaway?"

I frowned. "Yes?"

"This is Ben, Ashley's dad. I just wanted to um… let you know that Ashley has been found and she's been taken to Missouri Baptist Medical Center."

* * *

**Missouri Baptist Medical Center: Monday Night**

I entered the hospital's emergency department and looked around. I spotted Ben in the corner, on the edge of a straight back chair doubled over, his head in his hands. He looked worse than I did and I really didn't think that was possible. I hadn't changed my clothes or taken a shower since Saturday so I knew I smelled. I hadn't eaten much since Saturday either. A pack of crackers and an apple have been the only things I've consumed and that was only because Orton and Cena shoved them in my face. I probably would have eaten more, but the assholes drugged me Sunday morning and I've been out ever since. Jackasses didn't even think about Ashley out there all alone. They were too scared that I was going to do something I regretted. As long as Ashley was found safe and sound, I wouldn't regret a thing.

I approached Ben silently and a little on edge. I wasn't sure if he would want to see me, but he was one the one to call and I wasn't leaving this hospital unless Ashley told me to leave.

"Hey."

I sat down next to him as he looked up and nodded.

"Any word?" I asked, holding my breath.

He shook his head.

"Where was she?"

He let out a sigh. "An old school house in the woods."

"How did they find her?"

Ben shrugged. "The police stated that an anonymous caller informed them of where she was and that she was alive but barely."

I sucked in a breath and I began to shake.

"She had been stabbed in the stomach. The knife nicked her liver and fucked up her intestines. She's in surgery right now. According to the doctors an infection had already set it before she was brought to the hospital. That's all I was told before she was wheeled off to surgery. I never even got to see her."

I didn't know what to say him. Yeah, it was his daughter in there fighting for her life, but I had very strong feelings for the same woman and I didn't know how to comfort him because I was too busy grieving myself. I couldn't tell him that she would be okay, because I didn't believe it myself. How could I? She had been stabbed in the gut and as far as I knew, that had always been fatal. Ashley was a survivor, a fighter and I knew she was fighting with everything she had, but was it enough?

"She's a fighter, Ben. She knows you need her." I replied, still not able to utter those three little words, 'she'll be okay'.

Ben finally looked up and over at me, his face inquisitive and wary. "Where are the rest of you?"

"They had a late flight to Canada. They missed Raw but Vince wouldn't let them miss Smackdown and they had to catch the taping tomorrow night."

"You fucked up your leg, right? I saw it on Raw?"

I nodded. "I just cracked a bone. I'm fine."

He nodded and gave me a dirty look. "You had my daughter worried sick for days. She said you snapped at her and she didn't understand why. Then I learn that you were there when she went missing. What the fuck is going on with you two? Don't lie to me. I may be younger than you and you may be bigger than me, but that's my daughter you're messing with and if I have to, I will kill you with my bare hands for her."

I knew he meant it too. His voice was hard, but his face was void of all emotions. This man loved his daughter and I respected that. I nodded in acceptation.

"I'm not quite sure what's going on between Ashley and me, but I'm crazy about her. She's my best friend besides Orton, Cena, and Jacobs. I'll do anything for her and protect her from everything I can." I told him honestly.

He nodded slowly and then pinned me with this gaze that almost sent a chill down my spine. "You can be her friend all you want, but nothing else. I like you, Mark and I respect you. I haven't a problem with you, but that's my baby daughter in there and you are old enough to be her father. So if I find out that something went on between you two or if something ever does, I'll make you sorry for it."

With that said he turned away and focused his attention on the double bay doors. Good thing he wasn't paying attention to me and my reaction. To me, it didn't matter what he did to me, I would never be sorry or regret having sex with Ashley. She was this amazing person that I wanted to be with again and again. I hated to tell him that he was going to have to get over it, but I would. Just not today. Today, we were going through too much to argue over anything.

"Did they try to track her phone?" I asked, making conversation because silence meant I was left alone with my own thoughts.

Ben nodded. "They couldn't get a signal on it and when they found Ashley they found her phone smashed to pieces."

"So whoever took her knew that her phone would have a tracker in it." I replied, sounding stupid to my own ears.

He shrugged. "Most phones have GPS and Ashley had the newest Iphone out there because I got it for her for Christmas."

I nodded and a small grin came over my face. "She loved that phone. She loved all the apps she had too."

Ben nodded but stayed silent.

I resisted the urge to scream. For once in my life, I hated the fucking silence. "The police don't have any clue who it was?" I asked.

He shook his head. "Last I heard, they were tracing the number that was used to tell them where Ashley was, but he didn't give a name."

"Do you have any idea who could do this to her?" I questioned, already knowing the answer.

Another shake of his head. "If I did, he wouldn't still be breathing."

Of course he wouldn't because I would kill him as well. I wanted to get my hands on this man so bad; my palms were itching for the violence. This man took a very memorable day for the both of us and clouded it with very ugly viciousness. It didn't matter what Ashley did to this man, nothing was worth what he did to her; what he had done to her.

"Where have you been?" Ben's out of the blue question pulled me from my dark thoughts.

"What do you mean?"

"The last I heard you were down at the St. Louis Police Department raising hell about searching for Ashley and then Sunday sometime you disappeared and now here you are once Ashley's been found wanting to know how she is. How do I know you aren't responsible?" He dead panned me once again those eyes. Ashley had those same eyes.

I snorted. "My best buddies drugged me at that same police station and then Jacobs carried me to the local hospital where they –under police orders– sedated me. I just woke up when _you_ called."

Ben actually laughed. "I would have been pissed. They actually drugged you?"

I chuckled and nodded. "They did. It was Jacobs' idea and needless to say, Jacobs wasn't there when I woke up."

Still chuckling, Ben shook his head. "I bet not." He sobered and gave me another look. "I honestly didn't think you had anything to do with Ashley's disappearance. I was just lashing out."

I nodded my understanding. "Yeah I know."

After that the silence stretched. It was stretched so thin, I was sure my ear drums were going to pop the very moment someone spoke a word. All around us, concerned and worried family members talked amongst themselves. Patients were coughing, sneezing, and moaning with pain. Doctors were rushing around like chickens with their heads cut off. Nurses were checking people in, taking vitals, and just making sure that all was okay around their station. Orderlies were mopping floors, wiping up messes, and emptying trash cans. Babies were crying and toddlers were fussing while the older children were whining and complaining. There was so much going on that the noise was in abundance, but all I could hear was my own heart beating in my chest, the blood pouring through my veins, and the wheels in my head turning and churning. Was Ashley okay? Were they in there struggling to get her to breath? Was she already dead and they were trying to find some way to tell us? Was the infection too set in for them to fix her? Was I ever going to see her smile again? Hear her laugh? Eat her ham sandwiches? Hold her? Make love to her?

I was tired of sitting down. I was tired of waiting.

Someone spoke Ben's name and we both looked up to see two police officers standing before us. We both stood up and introduce ourselves. Officers Jefferies and Michaels were seasoned players and they knew what they were doing. They looked at Ben and motioned towards me.

Ben nodded. "He's a family friend. It's okay."

Officer Jefferies nodded and then motioned towards those double bay doors. "Any word?" His words were soft and his eyes were kind.

Ben shook his head. "Not since she was brought in. She's still in surgery."

Officer Michaels cocked his head at me in question. "You were the one down at the police station making such a fuss." He stated.

I nodded with a frown. "It didn't seem like you all were doing much after she went missing. Meanwhile, Ashley was out there hurting, suffering and in a lot of pain. The last thing I wanted to do was sit around and wait for her to turn up."

Officer Jefferies nodded in understanding. "We understand that, we do, but we have rules and guidelines that we have to follow for your protection and Ashley's as well. We hope there are no hard feelings about having you sedated?"

I snorted. "It wasn't your idea, was it?"

He shook his head, chuckling softly. "No, I believe it was your buddy, Glenn Jacobs. He did it for your own good."

I nodded. "I know, but that doesn't mean I'm not upset about it. I'll get him later."

Officer Jefferies chuckled before sobering and taking a deep breath. "We have news on Ashley's abductor and the person that called to alert us to where she was."

Ben nodded slowly. "So it wasn't the same person?"

Michaels shook his head. "The person that called us with Ashley's whereabouts was a co-worker of Ashley's named Eric."

Both Ben and I sat down hard on the waiting room chairs. I wasn't sure about Ben, but I found it quite hard to breath. Eric had been involved all along. He had purposely befriended Ashley only to lead her into a false security so he could kill her. He wasn't harmless at all.

"We believe that Eric was innocent in all this. We're not quite sure yet of all the details, but we believe that he got her attacker away from her so they wouldn't kill her."

"What makes you think all this?" Ben asked skeptical.

Jefferies took a deep breath. "Well when Eric called he gave us quite a few details and even what road they were on."

"So wait, you know where Eric is?" I asked.

Both officers dropped their heads to look at the floor. "Eric is at the local morgue. We tracked his phone. His body was found at a cheap motel about five miles outside of St. Louis. He had been shot to death."

I couldn't move. I didn't know what to say because hell, I didn't know what to think.

Ben let out a string of obscenities. "How the hell am I going to tell Ashley this?"

"There's more."

We both looked up at the officers.

"Eric told us all about the person behind all of the attacks on Ashley and that person probably found out that Eric called us so he was killed because of it. The person responsible is a woman named Megan, her mother Eric had told us."

I let out a gasp of shock and looked over at Ben who had turned white as flour.

"Her mother did this? Her mother? The mother of my daughter tried to kill her? Her mother?" He went silent after that so I asked the question that was still hanging in the air.

"Have you found her yet?"

Both officers shook their heads in regret and disappointment.

* * *

As soon the officers said their good byes, I dragged Ben outside. He had been quiet ever since they dropped a bombshell on him, but I had a feeling he was close to exploding. Sometimes I hated when I was right.

"This is all my fault! This is all my fucking fault! If I hadn't lied to Ashley her entire life than maybe she wouldn't be in this position now."

"You lied to her?" I asked softly.

Ben nodded, pacing up and down the sidewalk. "It was never Megan's parents that wanted to abort the baby. It was Megan. Megan didn't want a baby. She didn't want to be tied down. Hell, Megan was a fucking bitch. By the time she had discovered she was pregnant, I was pulling my hair out being with her. I was thinking of breaking up with her. Then she comes to me and tells me she's pregnant. Although I hated Megan, I wanted this baby. I told her parents I wanted this baby and that I wanted nothing more to do with Megan. They were happy with that decision because they knew their daughter was heading down a dangerous path."

"What happened when you told Megan you wanted the baby?"

Ben snorted, still pacing. "I didn't tell Megan I wanted the baby. I told her that we would put the baby up for adoption and then return to our lives. I convinced her that abortion was wrong when so many couples out there were searching for a healthy baby. I handled all the fake adoption crap so Megan wouldn't find out. She was glad to let me too. She agreed to keep her to full term, but that didn't stop the bitch from partying. Megan was constantly drinking and doing drugs the full nine months of her pregnancy. She was rushed to the hospital twice and we were sure she was losing the baby. No, I was the lucky one. She was pissed."

He took a deep breath and sat down on the curb. I sat down beside him.

"When Ashley was born, I told Megan I didn't want anything else to do with her and that I was keeping Ashley, to raise her."

"She didn't take it well, did she?"

Ben snorted. "She went irate. She tried to kill herself in the hospital by drinking a bunch of chemicals she found. Stupid bitch was in a hospital. Of course they would save her. Ashley was a month old when Megan came around again, fresh from rehab. She tried to convince me that she was okay. That she wanted to raise Ashley with me. I didn't want to believe her, but something told me to give her a chance so I did. I was lucky that I listened to my instincts just a little and didn't leave the house. I just left Megan alone with Ashley while I went and studied. Ashley had always been a talkative baby. From the day she was born she was constantly cooing and making little noises. I was in the dining room and it suddenly went silent. I got up to check on them and thank God I did because I found Megan smothering my daughter. I was so fucking stupid to believe that bitch! I pulled Megan away from my little girl and proceeded with CPR. Megan was put back into a mental hospital."

Ben took a deep breath. "But that wasn't the end of Megan. We had to move to St. Louis because Megan wouldn't leave us alone. When she was released from the hospital Ashley was six months old and such a happy little baby. She was the apple of my eye. She was my everything. Megan wouldn't leave us the hell alone. She called, she tried to visit and break in. She even tried to pick Ashley up at day care once. That was the final straw for me. I couldn't take it anymore. So I packed up everything and moved to St. Louis with my grandmother. She became my rock through everything."

"That should have been the end but it wasn't. She couldn't find me so she called me. She continued to call me all the damn time. I would change my number and she would find it. She begged me to give her another chance. I told her no way in hell. Ashley was this perfect little girl; she was happy, well-rounded, smart, talented, and just this very sweet little girl. I told Megan I didn't want her fucking my daughter up. I knew Ashley always tried to be that perfect little angel because she felt like she had taken away my high school years and ruined my life, but she had always been worth it to me. I didn't see it as her ruining my life. I saw it as her improving my life, enhancing it, making it better."

He looked over at me. "The last time Megan called, Ashley was thirteen. She had gone on her very first date with friends of course. I was vulnerable. When Megan called I lashed out. I told her to leave me the hell alone. I was happy. Ashley was happy. I had my little girl and I didn't want nothing to do with her crazy ass. I told her that Ashley could cook. That had always been Megan's passion in life. She had wanted to be a chef. I told her that Ashley was so much better than she had ever been in the kitchen and that was because of me. I told her that if she had been in Ashley's life than Ashley would probably be the same pathetic person she was."

"She never called again?" I asked, my insides aching and my heart breaking for this father and his wonderful daughter.

Ben shook his head. "She never called again. And because of my neglect of my daughter, I learn that she's been working with Ashley, being her friend. What the fuck is wrong with me?" He spat out.

I squeezed his shoulder. "This isn't your fault. Ashley will tell you that this isn't your fault. Megan is unstable and a little whacked, but not your fault. You were doing what you knew was best for your daughter. You gave Ashley everything you could. A roof over her head and an actual home, food, clothes, toys, a chance to make something of herself. Ashley is proud of you, Ben. Your daughter loves you more than anything in this world." I told him.

Suddenly I was jealous of Ashley's dad. I was jealous of the love I knew Ashley had for this man. Did that mean I wanted her to love me? I nodded slowly and to myself. I did want her to love me because I loved her. Shit! I loved her! Was I in love with her?

"Thanks Mark. I appreciate what you're trying to do, but sadly it doesn't change how I feel."

I shook off my shock as I had just come to the realization that I loved Ashley. Ben stood up and I stood up as well and looked him right in the eye. "How do you feel?" I asked.

"I don't want you and Ashley involved in a sexual relationship. Just saying it makes my skin crawl. I'll never approve of you in that regard and you and I both know that if I don't approve than Ashley won't go against my wishes."

"You would want Ashley to be miserable?" I couldn't believe that.

Ben took a deep breath and shook his head. Without saying a word, he turned and went back inside; leaving my question unanswered and me on edge. I took a moment to get myself under control. If what Ben said was true, what chance in hell did I have?


	19. Finally

**IT'S TIME! :-) THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU TO: KEEPER OF OZ, TAKERSSOULMATE, KAKASHISHOT, MAGBRATTS, TANYA2BYOUR21, KEPOUROS, FIRECRACKER, WATEVACRAZYGIRL, SOAGIRLFOREVER, & FOR YOUR LOVELY AND WONDERFUL REVIEWS! **

**I absolutely love reading your reviews. Your support and encouraging words make me so very happy and they help me get through the rough patches as well. So Thank you so very much! I hope you continue to read along and enjoy! **

There is still a lot of unanswered questions and I promise they will be answered. This chapter was just for Ashley! :-)

Oh.. and Keeper of Oz... Thanks!

Chapter Nineteen  
Finally

"She's over here! I found her! She's over here!"

Ashley wanted to tell the voice to be quiet, that his shouting was hurting her head. But she couldn't talk; she couldn't even open her eyes. She was sure she was going to die and she still wasn't sure she still wouldn't, but even though she couldn't move, couldn't open her eyes or talk, she could hear and she could breathe. Oh but it hurt to breathe. Why did it hurt to breathe? Oh God, why did it hurt everywhere? But that was a good sign, right? Hurting meant she was alive.

"She's alive! She's got a pulse! It's weak but it's there." He stated relieved. "Get that ambulance here! NOW!" He shouted. There was a lot of noise going on around her and again she wished she could tell them to be quiet. All the loud voices were seriously hurting her head.

"Ashley? Can you hear me?" The man's voice asked her before she felt his hand slip into hers. "Squeeze my hand if you can hear me, Sweetheart."

She concentrated on her hand and gave him a slight squeeze. She heard his large sigh and he gave her a small squeeze back. "That's good, Sweetheart. Thank you." He sounded nice.

"She's definitely alive and she's responsive, but she's hurt bad. It looks as though an infection might have already set in. This looks bad."

She wanted to know what looked bad, but again she couldn't find the strength to talk.

"I'm Officer Jefferies and my partner here is Officer Michaels. Help is on the way, Sweetheart. Help is on the way."

That was the last thing she heard before blacking out once more.

* * *

"Ashley, we need you to wake up."

She made a soft mewing sound in the back of her throat and fought the darkness. It didn't want her to wake up. It wanted her under its mercy. It wanted her to follow it into the black where it resided.

_God, she was delusional. _

"She squeezed my hand earlier." She knew that voice, but she couldn't remember his name.

She felt a warm, rough hand slip into hers, giving her a small squeeze. "Wake up, Honey and squeeze my hand." He coaxed her with a soft voice. She whimpered with pain, but she managed to give his a hand a squeeze.

He chuckled. "Good girl, Honey. My name is Randy and I'm an EMT."

She wanted to laugh at that. She had a friend named Randy and he was just in a movie where he played an EMT. She wanted to tell this Randy that, but she couldn't find the strength. She couldn't wait to tell her Randy about this.

Of course, if she lived through this. And she definitely wanted to live through this. She had to see her dad again. And Mark too and the rest of her boys.

"I'm going to put an IV in, Honey. You're going to feel a little prick –right there and the IV is in." She heard some movement and felt a strong gust of air before Randy spoke again. "We're going to move you onto a backboard, Honey. It's going to hurt and I'm terribly sorry for that, but I can't give you anything for pain until we have a full work up on you. Squeeze my hand if you understand, Honey."

She gave his hand a squeeze.

"Good Girl." He told her.

She felt him move away from her before she heard a flurry of activity and then she was moved and the pain came over her like a tidal wave and she blacked out.

* * *

"Come on Honey. I need you to wake up." She heard the voice next to her ear and a warm rubbery hand against her face. The pain was unbearable and she wanted to scream in agony but she wasn't able to do anything but endure the incredible intense pain.

"Can you open your eyes for me, Ashley?"

All she could was whimper in pain.

"We really need you to open your eyes, Honey." He urged her sweetly.

"Her heart rate is dropping."

That was a new voice and he didn't sound happy, but right now she didn't care why. It was becoming more and more difficult to breathe. Why was it so hard to breathe?

"Randy, we're losing her."

She struggled to take a breath as the blackness once more pulled her under.

* * *

She woke up being jostled and bumped. It hurt like a son of a bitch and she wanted to cry and scream and tell whoever was moving her to please stop. The pain was too much. It hurt too much. She whimpered.

"We've got a pulse."

Her hand was squeezed and she whimpered again.

"You scared us, Ashley. We thought we lost you. Let's not do that again. Okay? Squeeze my hand if you agree." He teased her. She even heard the smile in his voice.

She whimpered but she wasn't able to squeeze his hand. All she could do was jerk her hand and he gave her hand a squeeze in return. She heard what sounded like doors slamming shut and she jumped and then whimpered in pain.

Another squeeze to her hand. "I'm sorry Honey. We didn't mean to scare you. You're in the ambulance and you are on your way to the hospital. Hang on there, Ash. You're on the way. You're going to be okay."

She wanted to thank this man, but sadly the darkness just wouldn't let her go.

* * *

Something woke her.

What was it?

Everything was super quiet and really dark. But her eyes were shut so maybe it wasn't dark. But it was very quiet. But wait... was that a beep? Was that what woke her? If not then what woke her? She wasn't in any pain. She felt content and warm. Was she dead? Suddenly she felt something brush her forehead and she realized what actually pulled her out of her slumber. Someone was right beside her, she could feel his presence. She couldn't say anything to him as sleep was still trying to hold her under. Was it her dad? Was it Mark? She didn't care who it was, but she wanted to talk to them, to hold them. She wanted to let them know that she knew they were there.

Whoever it was kissed her cheek.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?"

She whimpered.

_She knew that voice. That was her dad. Why was he yelling? Why was he mad? No! She didn't want to go. She wanted to know why her dad was mad._

But sleep just wouldn't let her go.

* * *

**Thursday Morning May 30, 2013**

"You need to leave!"

She woke this time to her dad yelling and the feeling like she was being choked.

_Her dad never yelled._

_Why did it feel as though she was choking? _

"I'm not leaving until she wakes up and tells me to leave. Until then you're stuck with me."

_She knew that voice too. _

That was Mark and he sounded really mad. Wait… why was her dad telling Mark to leave? Why would she want Mark to leave? She didn't want Mark to leave and she didn't want her to dad to leave either.

_And what was choking her?_

"None of us are going anywhere until she wakes up."

_That was Randy!_

He was here too! She didn't want him to leave either.

"Oh you misunderstood me. I don't care if you stay. I just want him to leave."

_Who was her dad talking about?_

"What the fuck is your problem, Ben? I'm damned sure your daughter is going to want me here when she wakes up so why are you so dead set against it?"

She wanted to nod and shout yes in affirmative. She did want Mark here. She loved him. Why didn't her dad like Mark?

_What was going on? _

She tried to open her mouth but found that something was in her way.

_What the hell? It must be what's choking her?_

"You're too old for her, Calaway. And I liked you just fine until I found you with your mouth all over my daughter. And I will do anything to keep you out of my daughter's bed and out of her life."

_Now she was getting mad. _

"Don't you think you should let your daughter decide this once she's awake?"

_Yeah! You tell him, Mark! _

She tried to move her arms, but they were strapped down.

_What the hell? _

"My daughter almost died twice. She's got a machine breathing for her, she's strapped to a hospital bed, and fighting an infection that could still kill her. So excuse the fuck out of me if I'm more concerned for my daughter's health than I am for what's inside your pants."

_**Dad! **_

_Oh why couldn't she move!_

"You're being crude and ugly, Ben."

John was here too!

"We all care very much for Ashley, but Mark more than any of us. You haven't any idea what you're saying."

She wanted to smile. No would ever think Kane, the devil's favorite demon would try to be the word of reason. Normally he would just threaten to bury him alive. She loved her boys.

She began to struggle against the breathing machine, but no one was paying attention to Ashley. They were too focused on each other.

"Fine! Then tell me you haven't have sex with or never intend to have sex with my daughter and you can stay."

She started struggle harder. Her dad was being a jerk and she wanted to know what the hell was going on. And Mark had better not respond to that either.

"I'm not going to lie to you, Ben, but I'm not going to dignify that with a response either."

As she struggled, her heart rate started dropping as the pain started to pull her under. Mark was mad and he was doing everything he could to remain calm while her dad was going postal. She needed to talk to them all before one of them killed the other.

"Then get out, Mark. Just the get the fuck OUT!"

When her dad screamed, she jolted and the pain ricocheted throughout her body and she wanted to scream in agony. She heard what sounded like a door being opened.

"What is going on in here?" A female voice asked, touching her forehead. "Ashley, are you awake?" She asked her. Apparently no one heard the erratic beeping of the monitor in her room.

Ashley slowly nodded and let out a whimper of pain.

"Well I need you to open your eyes." She demanded.

Ashley tried but it felt like her eye lids were sewn shut. She gave a slight shake of her head and whimpered.

"She's in pain. Do something for her." Her father demanded of the unknown female she was guessing was a nurse.

"Hush! She needs to open her eyes if she wants the breathing tube removed. You want it removed don't you?" She asked snidely.

Ashley nodded again.

"Then you had better open those eyes of yours because I'm not removing it until you do."

She wanted to sock this lady in her nose. Damn it! She couldn't help the pain she was in or the fact that her eyes didn't want to open. With all the strength she had in her, she pried her eyes and came face to face with a little old lady and a smiling face.

"I heard you had chocolate brown eyes, but they didn't tell me how absolutely gorgeous they were."

Ashley blinked at the sweetness in her tone and how sweet and nice she looked. Her bright blue eyes were twinkling too. Was this the same nurse?

The nurse's smile widened. "I always have to be a little ornery to get my lovely patients to open their eyes once coming out of surgery. Forgive me, Sugar. My name is Florence and I will be your nurse for the next twelve hours." She rolled her eyes. "Well a little over twelve hours. I'm working a double shift today."

She stopped talking and looked behind her before turning her attention back to Ashley. "Now, I know this thing is choking you so on the count of three I'm going to pull and you're going to cough, okay?"

Ashley nodded her understanding.

Florence turned off the machine and then took the tubing in her hand. "One." "Two." "Three." The nurse pulled and Ashley was sure she was going to cough up a lung or maybe the breathing machine was going to take her lung with it. The nurse then held a straw attached to a little pink cup to her lips and Ashley drank as much of the cold water as Florence would allow before pulling it away.

Ashley wanted to look at her dad and her friends, but the room was so filled with angry tension that she was a little scared to look at them. So she kept her brown eyes on the nurse. She put the tubing over the machine and wheeled it to the door before coming back to remove the straps holding her down and to help her into a sitting position.

"The doctor is doing his rounds but he'll be in as soon as he can. Is there anything I can get you before I go?" She asked with a smile. Ashley really liked this nurse.

"I'm hurting." She squeaked holding her throat.

The nurse frowned. "Your throat?"

She nodded.

"Anywhere else?"

She nodded again. "Everywhere."

She frowned harder before reaching over and adjusting a few things on Ashley's monitor. "There ya go. That will be taken care of it in just a few minutes." She replied with a smile. "Anything else?"

She shook her head. "Just a bath." She replied, crinkling her nose.

Florence chuckled. "All in due time, I promise." Florence went about checking her vitals and clicking her tongue. "Now spend some time with your all men here." She teased after finishing her task. She wiggled her eyebrows and Ashley's eyes twinkled with amusement. It hurt to smile and Florence winked her understanding.

"No more talking for the next couple of hours, okay?" Florence told her.

Ashley nodded and mouthed her thanks.

Florence padded her arm. "Anytime."

Florence then faced the five quite large men in the room with a frown on her face. "I don't care what you were arguing about but there will be no more of it. My sweet patient here does not need the stress right now. Do you understand?"

They all nodded slowly.

"If I hear so much as one slightly raised voice, I will have security up here and all five of you will be gone. Do you understand that?"

Ashley almost giggled. This sweet older lady had four big wrestlers and her daddy scared out of their wits. It was definitely a sight to see.

She wheeled the breathing machine out of the room and the door clicked behind her.

Her dad was beside her instantly. "How are you feeling, Sunshine?" He asked gently, kissing her forehead.

She frowned at her father and pushed him away. Her eyebrows were furrowed and her nose was crinkled in unhappiness. He didn't look happy that she pushed him away. She shook her finger at her father and stuck out her tongue. She then turned to Mark and her boys. She could tell they were trying not to laugh, but she just wasn't happy at all. She mimicked writing and Mark went in search of a pen and a paper. She didn't have to wait long. Mark returned with a sharpie pen and a stack of computer paper. She quickly scribbled down what she wanted to say and showed it to her dad.

**My throat hurts too bad to talk. **

**Dad, I love you very very much! **

**BUT **

**Why were you yelling at Mark? :-( **

Ben flinched. "Sunshine, let's not discuss that right now. Don't you want to know what the doctor had to say?" He asked her timidly.

She glared at him and shook her head, suddenly feeling a little better. The pain medicine must be working now. Then she wrote down something else, showing it to her father.

_**WHY**_** were **_**YOU**_** yelling at Mark?**

Ben was uncomfortable as hell and Ashley guessed that Mark knew exactly that. He stepped up and took the paper from Ashley's fingers. He kissed her softly on the mouth and gave her a smile.

"Don't worry about why he was yelling at me. He probably had a good reason." Mark teased her. She blinked her eyes and frowned. "Oh baby girl don't frown. I want to see you smile. We all want to see you smile." He pleaded with her gently.

Her frown deepened and she shook her head, motioning for her paper back. Mark shook his own head, ignoring the others in the room. "Smile first and then you get the paper back." When she tried to talk, Mark put a one large finger on her mouth. "Don't even try it, baby girl. No talking yet. Smile. Please. For me."

"For us, Sweetheart." Behind Mark, the rest of them pleaded.

She took a deep breath, crinkled her nose, and shook her head.

Mark smiled bigger. "Alright you little minx. I'll make you laugh."

Ben started to protest and Mark shook his head, cutting him off. He turned back to Ashley and rolled his eyes. "Did you know that when you went missing, I went a little crazy."

Glenn rounding the bed to stand beside her father shook his head. "Crazy isn't the word for it, Honey. He was a half-step away from getting arrested."

"He was yelling down the whole police station." Randy added.

Ashley's eyebrows went up in surprise. John laughed. "It's true. We had to do something and fast."

She eagerly motioned for them to continue, her eyes lighting up. They all laughed including Ben. Mark leaned forward and brushed her mouth with his. "We were all worried sick about you," Mark stated before dropping his voice to a whisper. "But when I thought I lost you, it felt like I lost a part of myself." He admitted to her with a sheepish grin. Ashley's eyes softened and she reached up and touched Mark's whisker covered cheek. She pressed a soft kiss to his mouth before mouthing. "Me too."

"Do you know what we did, Sweetie?" Randy asked.

She shook her head.

"It was all Glenn's idea." John chipped in.

Ashley looked at Glenn, waiting.

"We drugged him." Glenn said his voice low.

Ashley's brown eyes went wide as saucers.

Mark nodded. "They put a mild sleeping pill in my caffeinated drink, waited for me to pass out, and then Jacobs carried me to my truck and then into the hospital where under police orders, they had me medically sedated."

She gave a slight grin before frowning. She motioned for her paper and Mark reluctantly gave it back to her. She scribbled quickly and handed it to Mark.

**Weren't you mad at Glenn?**

Mark looked up at Ashley and nodded. "I was pissed as hell. I slept for almost two days."

Her mouth dropped in surprise.

"But when I woke up it wasn't but maybe ten minutes before your dad called me. They had found you and I felt everything had fallen back into place. Until I learned you coded twice, baby girl."

She frowned. "I'm sorry."

Mark shook his head. "No talking. It's not your fault, baby girl. Not your fault at all."

She nodded slowly and picked up her paper. Mark, with a smile, watched her concentrate on what she was writing. She spent a few minutes writing before finally showing her paper to Mark and her dad.

**It was Megan and Eric, from Harley's. Megan said she was my mom. She doesn't look old enough, but what do I know. Neither does my dad. She needs mental help, I think. They got away. I know she stabbed me, but I think it was Eric that talked her out of killing me. I don't understand why she hates me as much as she said she does. She never introduced herself to me as my mom so it couldn't be that I never acknowledged her.**

**Dad, I was so worried I would never be able to see you again. I love you to the moon and beyond.**

**Mark, I was so worried I would never see you again either and that scared me. I was so scared I wouldn't see Randy, John, or Glenn again either. I love my boys so very much.**

**Randy, you'll never believe this… one of the EMTs was named Randy! :-)**

**I have so much more I want to tell you all, but I think the pain medicine is making me so very tired. But I don't want anyone to leave. I would love for all of you to stay… if you can of course.**

**Please…**

Her father was the first to speak. ""Beyond the stars and the planets, Sunshine. And I promise, no one is leaving if they don't want to." He kissed her forehead, once, twice before stepping back to let her friends talk and comfort her.

Randy laughed at the part about the EMT. "Was he a good paramedic? Good to you?" Ashley nodded and mouthed that he was kind. "Good. We can't have anyone mistrusting our little chef. We're so glad that you were found safe and sound, Sweetheart. I'm going back to the hotel and take a shower and have a bite to eat, but I'm coming back and I want hear that sweet voice of yours. Understand?" He teased her with a cocky grin.

Ashley nodded and kissed his cheek.

He swooned, making Ashley giggle, and clasped his cheek. "Oh a kiss for luck. Aren't you sweet?" He winked at Ashley, said good bye to others and left.

John stepped up next and kissed her forehead. "We mean quite a lot to us too, Ashley. You've got us wrapped around your little finger and we don't mind it in the least." He told her and she giggled. He then winked. "As soon as you can, I need some advice." He whispered to her.

Her eyes went wide and mouthed, 'a girl?'

John laughed and nodded. "Yes, I need some advice about a girl. So get better quickly. I'm glad you're okay, Sweetie. I'm going back to the hotel also to eat and take a shower. Sleep well." He kissed her cheek, said good bye to the others, and walked out.

She looked at Glenn who gave her a wide grin. "Can you believe I had him drugged?" He asked with a very frisky grin.

Ashley giggled and shook her head. She shook her finger at him and shamed him teasingly.

Glenn laughed. "It was well worth it, Sweetie. He'll kick my ass for it later, but it was definitely worth it."

'You're so bad.' She mouthed.

He kissed the tip of her nose. "Yes I am, but I am Kane."

She touched his cheek with the palm of her hand before kissing him softly on the mouth. "You'll always be Glenn to me."

Glenn melted on the spot and gave her a gentle hug. He kissed her forehead softly, slowly, and oh so sweet. "I'll always protect you. I'll always be here for you as long as you need me."

She nodded. "Always."

He smiled thoughtfully before it turned cocky. "I'm going to follow the other two knuckleheads, but I will be back. Now I get to go brag that I got to hear that lovely voice of yours." He winked then laughed as she blushed. He said good bye to Mark and Ben and headed out.

"I'm gonna get a bottle of water. I'll be right back." Ben suddenly announced before walking out.

Mark stepped closer to the bed and before Ashley could blink, Mark had cupped her face between his large palms and plastered his lips to hers. He kept it light and sweet, but Ashley could feel the possessiveness in the kiss. She didn't know what to think but she didn't want him to stop. But he did.

He slowly pulled away, kissing the tip of her nose and then her mouth one last time. "Did I hurt you?" He muttered huskily.

Ashley shook her head. "No."

"I thought I was going to lose my mind, Baby girl. When I saw that blood, it scared the hell out of me. I never planned on it, baby, but damn I've fal –"

"Ashley?"

Mark growled at being interrupted. He turned slowly towards the door, a dark look upon his handsome face. Ashley gasped when she saw who it was. She started to panicked and shake her head.

"No! No! Not him!"


	20. Husband Talk

**THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU TO KAKASHISHOT, KEEPER OF OZ, WATEVACRAZYGIRL, SOAGIRLFOREVER, TANYA2BYOUR21, FIRECRACKER, TAKERSSOULMATE, KEPOUROS, TAMMY, FUNNY-KITTY, & LINA MARIE FOR YOUR REVIEWS! I LOVED THEM! **

Author's Note: In the last chapter I made a mistake with the date… I had put May 23 when it should have read May 30. That has now been change and I'm sorry for any misunderstanding. Thanks!

Author's Note 2: I finally got to go to the beach and the inspiration to write hit me as hard as a tidal wave. My muse has been talking non stop since we got here. I've got four more story ideas that doesn't include my Taken sequel or the Randy Orton story that I've got planned next. Wow! The ocean and the beach can do for a muse! Enjoy chapter 20!

Chapter Twenty  
Husband Talk

**Thursday Morning May 30, 2013**

"I'm gonna get a bottle of water. I'll be right back."

I waved him out the door in absolute relief. As soon as the door closed behind him, I cupped Ashley's soft little face and covered her sweet mouth with mine. I kept it light, but I kissed her like a man possessed and I was. I wanted to lay claim on her here and now. After a few seconds of what felt like returning home, I pulled away.

She sighed when I kissed the tip of her nose and then her mouth once again. "Did I hurt you?" I asked, my voice rough to my ears.

She shook her head. "No."

Thank God for small favors. "I thought I was going to lose my mind, Baby girl. When I saw that blood, it scared the hell out of me. I never planned on it, baby, but damn I've fal –"

"Ashley?"

I was interrupted by a voice I had hoped to never hear again and I growled my displeasure. I turned slowly towards the door and I didn't even try to hide how pissed off I was. I opened my mouth to tell this asshole to get the fuck out when Ashley gasped. I turned back to look at her and she was in a full on panic. I looked at the monitor and I could plainly see that her heart rate was climbing fast.

"No! No! Not him!"

I glared at Jordan and pointed at the door. "Get out!" I said forcefully.

His eyes widened. "But – but, but I can't." He stuttered.

As I grabbed Ashley's hand to offer comfort, I snorted. "You can and you will."

He gave a heavy sigh. "Fine, but I'll be back." He threatened before leaving.

"Over my dead body." I muttered as I wrapped my arms around Ashley gently. "You okay?" I asked concerned.

She slowly nodded. "I just don't like him and I don't want him anywhere near me, Mark. I just can't handle him right now. Please do not let him anywhere near me."

I kissed her forehead. "Baby, I can promise you that he won't get anywhere near you."

She wrapped her arms around my waist and gave me a small squeeze. She was definitely weak and in no way able to defend herself. "Thank you Mark."

"Mmmmm." I took a deep breath. "Has he ever hurt you, baby girl?" My teeth clenched, waiting for an answer that would decide my future because if Jordan had so much laid a hand on my chef, he would die. She had told me once before that he hadn't, but she could have kept the truth from me.

Ashley shook her head against my chest. "No, he's never hit me. He's just really very controlling. He showed up every day at my job to take me to lunch but he didn't hide the fact that he was pissed if I was anywhere near Eric."

My eyes slammed shut and I groaned. My mind screamed 'DANGER DANGER, GET THE HELL OUT'! I knew immediately that there was no way the news of Eric's death was going to be easy to tell Ashley. Did I tell Ashley or did I let her dad tell her? Fuck! I didn't know.

I pulled myself out of my thoughts when I realized Ashley was looking up at me. "I'm glad he never touched you."

"He kissed me a lot."

My body tensed. Every single inch of my six foot eight frame was howling in protest. Ashley was mine! I wanted to kick Jordan's lame doctor ass for touching what was mine and she was definitely mine. And she was going to know that very soon.

After several deep breaths, I barely able to talk. "Did you enjoy them?" I was honestly afraid I was going to break a tooth, I was grinding my teeth so hard, but I was more afraid of Ashley's answer.

She shivered in my arms. "No. Eeew. He tried to force his tongue down my throat and it was either too wet and slobbery or too dry and awkward."

"Forced you?" I didn't like the sound of that.

She nodded. "I bit his tongue. Not hard enough to draw blood or anything, but hard enough to make him stop."

I chuckled and kissed her luscious little mouth. "That's my girl!" I exclaimed kissing the tip of her nose. "Let's just say from here on out, no more kissing other men."

"Except Randy, Glenn, & John. And you of course."

I groaned. "Fine you can kiss those three, but never on the mouth." I looked her dead in the eyes. "Are we clear?" I made sure she knew I was serious.

She slowly nodded. "Yes Sir." She blinked at me all innocently and smiled. I laughed. She was a saucy little minx.

I kissed her hard. "Good girl."

The door opened once more and her dad walked in. "Sunshine, the doctor is out here waiting to talk to you. I believe its Jordan." He told us.

"Daddy, I don't want him in here. I don't want him near me."

"Why not? He was your doctor before?" Ben asked clearly confused.

"Was he on call when she first came in and she coded?" I could feel my blood pressure rising. I didn't want that son of a bitch near her. He could kill her by 'accident'.

Ben shook his head. "It was another doctor. This one was a Doctor Hines, a female doctor. She took very good care of Ashley. It wasn't her fault, Ashley coded." Ben defended.

I nodded. "Then get that doctor back in here because Jordan will not be touching Ashley."

Ben bristled. "I don't think it's any of your business on who does or does not touch my daughter." He snapped.

I gently pulled away from Ashley, kissing her forehead before I faced her father. My fists tightened and my jaw clenched. "Ben, you may not like it but it is very much my business because Ashley is mine."

"I don't fucking think so, Calaway."

"I do."

"Get out!" He was having a hard time keeping his voice at a normal level.

And so was I. I puffed out my chest and straightened my shoulders. I knew how I looked and so did my millions of fans. "Make me, Ben. Make me get the hell out, Ben. I dare you."

He took a deep breath and stuttered a few times.

"Stop. Please stop."

Ashley's weak little voice shut us both up and looked at her. She was shaking her head and tears filled her beautiful brown eyes. "Please stop arguing." She whimpered and then started coughing. I immediately gathered her in my arms and rocked her back and forth.

"We're sorry, baby girl. No more arguing, baby. I promise, no more arguing." I assured her. She sniffed and buried her face in my chest. Too bad I had a shirt on.

"You have to get along." She coughed out.

"We will, baby girl. From now on, I promise." I reassured her, kissing the top of her head.

A knock sounded at the door and Ben opened it to reveal a tall blonde with a white lab coat. Ashley's doctor. She gave us a smile. "I heard there was a problem with Dr. Forrester; a personal problem and I was just checking to see if I could help."

I nodded. "There's definitely a personal problem with Dr. Forrester. We don't want him treating her. Would you be able to do it?" I asked, speaking for Ashley. I could tell it was pissing Ben off. He would have to get over it.

The blonde doctor nodded. "I'm Dr. Hines, Ashley." She introduced herself, shaking Ashley's hand. Ashley introduced herself and Dr. Hines smiled and shook her head. "Don't speak. Your throat is sore from the breathing tube and we don't want any more damage to your body. It's frail enough right now."

She motioned towards me and Ben. "You two are?" Ben introduced himself first and then I gave her my name.

"Are you the husband?"

I blanched and shook my head. "Not the husband. Just a _very_ close friend." I told her, keeping my eyes away from Ashley. I hoped she didn't notice my reaction to the word husband. Been there. Done that. Too many times.

Dr. Hines smiled and nodded slowly. "It's nice to meet you both, but I need you both out of this room so I can examine my lovely patient."

I didn't want to leave, but I would. I turned to look at Ashley to give her a kiss. She accepted the kiss without comment but something told me she wasn't happy. I would deal with her later. I followed Ben outside her hospital room.

"I want to talk to you." He bit out.

I resisted the urge to roll my eyes. "Then we need to go outside." I said and without giving him a chance to argue, I headed towards the exit. In silence we walked down the several flights of stairs and out the door to a small area where people came to sit and smoke. I faced Ben.

"Talk."

"You need to stay the hell away from daughter! Where do you get off telling Jordan to leave and then further telling Dr. Hines that there's a problem with Jordan?"

I sighed. "Your daughter… _your daughter_ has a problem with Jordan which makes him my problem. He's a controlling asshole, Ben and if Ashley hadn't ended it when she did, he might have ended up hurting her. Is that what you want for _your daughter_?" I asked him.

He shook his head. "Of course not, but Ashley is my daughter and she's her own person. She should have told Jordan to leave. Not you." He huffed.

This time I did roll my eyes. "Ashley did tell him to leave… okay, well she told me she didn't want him there so I made him leave."

Ben didn't like that either. "You still need to leave Ashley the hell alone."

I cocked an eyebrow. "Why?"

He looked confused. "What?"

"Why do I need to leave Ashley alone? She likes me and I like her so why?" I asked seriously while trying to keep the smile off my face.

"I saw the way you reacted to being called her husband. And I also saw Ashley's reaction to the way you reacted and it hurt me to see that. You're going to get bored eventually and when you leave you're going to break Ashley's heart and shatter her completely. Leave before that happens. Leave before it's too late."

"I'm not going to get bored with Ashley. We're friends… no we're best friends. I'm not vanishing from Ashley's life until Ashley tells me to get the fuck out. And **IF** that day ever comes, I will bow out gracefully and never return. But not until then. Are we clear?"

"NO! I want you to gone. You're going to hurt her." He almost collapsed in despair.

I felt the anger to deflate instantly. I clasped his shoulder. "I am not going to hurt Ashley. I'm crazy about her. Hell, Ben, I love her."

He looked up at me in complete and utter shock. "You love her?"

I nodded. "Why is that so hard to believe, Ben? Your daughter is a wonderful woman with a lot of traits that I find funny, sweet, endearing, lovable, and a lot of traits that I just plain love. "

He blinked several times and I could see the family resembles between father and daughter. "It's not just about the sex?" He asked, blanching himself.

I shook my head. "No it's not. Not with Ashley."

He nodded slowly. "Then let me ask you a few questions."

I knew what was coming. "Go ahead."

"You know you were favorite?"

I snorted. "I am her favorite." I replied grinning.

He huffed and ignored my comment. "What age was she when she dressed up like Undertaker?"

"She dressed up as Undertaker when she was seven and eight years of age in two different costumes. But the second year, she was sick during Halloween and not able to go trick or treating."

His eyes widened in surprise then he blanked his face. "What age did she decide she wanted to be a chef?"

"She was sixteen when she actually made up her mind to become a chef, but she's been cooking since she was old enough to reach the counter."

The surprise showed in his eyes but he kept it off his face. "Favorite color?"

"Depends on her mood, but usually purple, blue, or the color of my eyes." I didn't bother keeping the grin off my face.

His teeth were clenched tight. "Favorite food."

"She loves yogurt; strawberry banana to be exact. And Greek yogurt as well with honey."

"Favorite soda?"

I chuckled softly. He tried a trick question. "Your daughter doesn't drink soda. She likes water, orange juice with mango, and Gatorade."

"Favorite animal?"

He was really gonna break a tooth.

"Giraffe, but she loves them all even monkeys although they scare her."

"Childhood nightmare?" He asked smug.

Oh this was just perfect. "Being sucked into a board game. She watched Jumanji when she was seven years old and after that she refused to play another board game because she was afraid she would be sucked into one."

"You listen to everything she tells you?"

I nodded. "Not only do I listen to her, but I ask her questions to discover more about her."

"You love my daughter. You really do love her." He didn't state it as a question but I nodded anyway.

"I love her. We all love her."

His eyes narrowed. "But you're the only one, right?" He asked hesitating.

"Only one what?"

He cleared his throat. "You're not sharing her?"

My eyes widened and I frowned. "No I am not sharing her… sexually if that's what you mean. I meant what I said in the hospital room, Ashley is mine."

He looked a little relieved. "Does Ashley know that?"

I shook my head. "Not yet, but she will."

"For how long?"

I cocked an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

"I saw the way you reacted to the word husband so how long do you plan on hanging around…" He trailed off.

"I've been married several times so no I don't really want to get married again, but I'm not leaving Ashley until she tells me to go."

"If you hurt her?"

"Then you along with Orton, Cena, and Jacobs can kick my ass, but I can assure that I'm not going to hurt her."

He nodded. "You can tell her then."

I was confused. "Tell her what?"

He met my eyes dead on. "About Eric." He replied before walking back inside leaving me muttering and cursing.

* * *

We met Dr. Hines outside Ashley's room and we stopped to talk to her.

"How is she doing?" Ben asked.

Dr. Hines looked towards me then back at Ben. "He's fine."

She nodded. "The infection in her system is slowly dying off, but it's still there. The reconstruction of her intestines is healing perfectly and so is her wound where she was stabbed."

"So she's going to be fine?" Ben asked hopefully.

Dr. Hines nodded. "She's going to just fine physically and with close family and friends, she'll be fine mentally too. She's of healthy mind and that's always a good thing after going through something like she did."

"When can she go home?" I asked curious.

"Unfortunately, that I don't know. I want the infection completely gone before she's allowed to leave. The strand of infection that was in her system was advanced and tough to kill. I wouldn't feel safe sending her home as long as she has it."

I nodded. "Thanks."

Ben smiled and shook her head. "Thank you so much. You've been wonderful."

The doctor blushed to the roots of her blonde hair and my eyes widened. Looks like the doctor liked Ashley's dear old dad. No… not old. He wasn't old and neither was I.

I cleared my throat and they both looked at me. "I'm going to give Ashley the news."

Ben clasped my arm and I stopped moving. "What?" I asked.

Instead of addressing me, he asked Dr. Hines a question. "Can Ashley handle bad news?"

Dr. Hines nodded. "She can. She's strong."

Ben let go of my arm and I entered Ashley's room. She was flipping through the channels and becoming exasperated. "What's wrong, baby girl?" I asked smiling.

She shot me a glare. "Nothing on and I'm stuck here indefinitely."

I shook my head. "Just until the infection is completely gone."

She sighed. "I know." She replied still fidgeting with the remote. I took it gently from her fingers, turned it off, and put it out of her reach.

"Um… what are you doing?" She seemed a little irritated and I hated what I was about to do. I sat down on the edge of her bed and took her hands in my mine.

"Baby girl, I've got bad news." I told her solemnly.

She shook her head. "My doctor said I'm fine…"

I shook my head. "You're fine that's true. This is something else."

"What?"

I sighed. "Oh baby, there's no easy way to say this… Eric was shot and killed."

Her face stricken and her eyes sad, she shook her head. "What?"

"He's gone, baby."

"The police?"

I shook my head. "The police believe Megan shot him."

She inhaled sharply and tears filled her eyes. "What? I don't understand. Eric was in on all this with her. I heard him telling her to leave me to die a painful death while they ran off together. Why would she kill him?"

I shook my head again. "He wasn't with her. In fact, the police believe he was killed because Megan discovered that he called police to inform them of your whereabouts."

The tears held unshed in her eyes finally cascaded down her cheeks. "What?"

I nodded. "He was trying to save you, baby."

She cried harder and I took her gently in my arms, rocking her back and forth as she sobbed her heart out. I would have thought I might have felt a little jealously towards this man named Eric as she mourned him so deeply, but all I felt was anger. I was pissed at this Megan for taking Eric from my little chef and I was thankful for Eric for saving her life, but I wasn't jealous.

She cried herself to sleep in my arms and I laid her down gently. I stroked her face with my fingers and combed them through her soft hair. Her eyes were red and swollen and her nose was red as well. I knew deep in my heart she wasn't through grieving for her friend. Eric had saved her life and in the process lost his. She was not only going to grieve, but she was going to feel guilty for his death. I would do everything in my power to make sure that she knew it was not her fault. She was innocent in all this and although Eric had been innocent too, he cared and loved her and did what he had to do to save her life.

The door opened and I turned to see who it was. I relaxed when I saw it was Ben. He nodded at me in greeting and I did the same.

"How did she take it?" He asked softly, taking notice that she was asleep.

"She cried herself to sleep, but she hasn't said anything about it yet."

"What do you think?"

"I think she's going to feel guilty and it's going to be up to us to make sure that doesn't happen."

"Yea you're right."

I nodded my agreement and the room went silent as I continued to gently run my fingers through her hair as Ben sat back and watched his daughter sleeping. It was a peaceful silence and I was relieved that he finally gave up on splitting us up. It wasn't going to happen.

Ben cleared his throat and I cocked my head to look at him, raising an eyebrow.

"I've… uh got a date." He blushed and I chuckled softly.

"Dr. Hines?" I questioned.

He nodded. "She asked me out and well…" He shrugged.

I smiled. "Good for you."

He nodded again. "She also told me that Ashley needs to not talk for a while. She said that when they pulled the tube out, it scraped the back of her throat."

I cursed. "Hasn't she been through enough?" I spat out.

I heard him sigh. "I know. Dr. Hines said that they should have used a smaller tube, but they needed to hurry because they had just revived her after she coded. They didn't want it to happen again. The size tubing they used is standard issue."

I nodded my understanding but didn't say anything. The room fell back in a comfortable silence and I felt at complete peace. I was relaxed and happy. Ashley was alive and recovering nicely. She was here by my side and she was mine. I wasn't letting her go. Now to tell Ashley this… I would have to wait until she properly grieved over Eric or I would always wonder if was using me for comfort. I seriously doubted it, but I just needed to be sure.

Especially if I was thinking of becoming a husband once again.


	21. Calls & Texts

**THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK TO KAKASHISHOT, KEEPER OF OZ, FIRECRACKER, TAMMY, KEPOUROS, MAGBRATTS, LINA MARIE, TANYA2BYOUR21, & SOAGIRLFOREVER FOR YOUR WONDERFUL REVIEWS!**

Author's Note: I do believe there is going to be two more chapters and then this story will be over with it. I can't believe it's finally coming to an end. In my last chapter, I stated that my next story would be a Randy Orton story, well my muse and CM Punk helped me decide that Randy would wait. After seeing Money in the Bank and Raw this past week, I decided that CM Punk really needed a story. And he wants one! I promise you'll love it!

P.S. In this chapter there will be a scene between John Cena and Ashley... Please check out story _Fifty Shades of Cena_ By Keeper Of Oz. She's so very talented and this scene will also be in her story... Trust me.. Her story is really good!

Chapter Twenty-One  
Calls & Texts

**Monday June 3, 2013**

"I handed in my resignation. As of this morning, I no longer work at Harley's." She announced to the group of men in front of her.

She waited for their reply, but instead she was greeted with a very loud silence. She waited and waited and then she waited a little longer but they still continued to stare at her in complete shock; their mouths gaping like a fish out of water. They were silent for so long she couldn't take it anymore.

"Um… someone say something." She urged. "Please." She added pleading.

Her dad was the first to speak. Not that she was surprised. "Was this your decision?" He asked slowly, sneaking a glance at Mark who was frowning.

Ashley rolled her eyes at her father. "Yes Dad, this was totally my decision. I can't work there anymore. Not without Eric."

Ben let out a sigh and nodded. "I can understand that. Eric meant a lot to you, but what about your condo and bills and well…" He ran a hair through his hair and sighed again. "Sunshine, cooking is your life. You love it. What will you do now?"

Ashley grinned. "I'm still going to cook. Just not for Harley's."

"I just –" Her dad was cut off by his cell phone chattering away in his pocket and he excused himself to go answer it, stepping outside the room.

John came forward and sat down on the edge of the bed next to Ashley's hip; an easy smile on his handsome face. "You just quit so you could keep me stocked in those ham sandwiches of yours, huh?"

Ashley giggled and kissed his cheek. "You're incorrigible."

Randy pushed against John's shoulder and John feigned being hurt. Ashley giggled again and rolled her eyes. Randy pushed John again and John pushed back but smiled as he did so, getting to his feet.

"She only wants to make those sandwiches for me, Loser. You're not good enough for those sandwiches." Randy said smartly.

John rolled his eyes. "Who are you calling a loser, jerk-off? Let me tell you something, Ashley wouldn't make you any of those sandwiches if you were the last man in the WWE."

"Would you two shut the hell up and get out." Mark bellowed suddenly making Ashley jump. He gave her a soft smile in apology before turning back to Randy and John.

"We don't want to leave." Randy pouted playfully.

Mark growled and they both laughed taking the hint. They each gave Ashley a kiss on the cheek. They both wanted to comment on her quitting Harley's but they knew it was none of their business and Mark would catch them up later. They did tell her that they would support her whatever her decision was. They then said good bye and left.

Mark sat down next to Ashley, holding her hands in his. "Talk to me, baby girl."

She shrugged her brow furrowing. "About what?"

Mark frowned. "Why did you quit?"

"I can't work there every day knowing…" She trailed off tears filling her eyes.

"Knowing what, Ashley?"

She shook her head trying to stop the tears from escaping. She had cried enough in the past couple of days. She was sure she was cried out. Mark reached out with one large hand and cupped her cheek. "Knowing what, baby girl?" He asked again his voice just a little more forceful.

A single tear ran down her cheek and Mark brushed it away with his thumb. "Knowing that I killed him."

Mark swore. "You didn't kill him, baby girl. I thought we discussed this."

She nodded. "I know you told me I didn't kill him, but he died saving my life. I had a little something to do with it."

"Stop that! You had nothing to do with it. Eric knew what he was doing, baby girl. He was your friend and he did what he had to do to save your life. I hate that he lost his life, but I'm grateful that he saved your life."

She shook her head. "I still don't want to go back to Harley's. I can't go there every day knowing that Megan became my friend under false pretenses. Knowing that she was plotting my death every time we laughed together and joked about a certain customer. I can't ever go back knowing that Eric gave up his life to save mine. Knowing that I'm never going to see him again. I just can't do it, Mark. Please understand." She pleaded with him tears now falling down her cheeks.

Mark grabbed a tissue and wiped away her tears. "No more crying baby girl. I can't take the tears."

She grinned through the tears and accepted the tissue from Mark, blowing her nose. "No more crying." She told him wiping away the last of the tears.

"Good. I can't take it when you're crying." He kissed her forehead, both of her cheeks and then the tip of her nose. "What do you want to do now? Want to travel the world with me?" He teased her grinning.

Ashley giggled. "I was thinking about that…"

Mark cocked one eyebrow. "About what?"

"About my future and I'm pretty sure I've come to the right conclusion."

"What's that?"

"There's a place down town that's been trying to get me to work for them so I think I'm going to work part time for them and start planning."

"Start planning what?"

"Opening my own restaurant. I can't wait forever so the sooner I get started the better."

Mark smiled. "I like that idea. What kind of restaurant you want?"

"I want to be able to cook my Gran's family recipes, but I want to put a twist on them to make it fine dining and healthier as well."

Mark nodded. "You told me that the first night we met, baby girl."

She frowned. "I did?"

He nodded again. "You did."

"I don't remember that."

He ran a fingertip down the slope of her nose. "I remember everything you tell me and that includes you telling me that you were secretly in love with me."

Ashley looked shocked. "When did I tell you that?"

Mark cupped the both of her cheeks and leaning down he brought her face closer to his. "The first night we met. When I had to wake you up every hour and ask you questions. You then admitted to me that you totally loved me and you could never ever live without me." He touched his mouth with hers, a brief contact but Ashley felt it down to her soul.

"I told you that huh?" She whispered against his mouth.

"You did."

She reached up and wound her arms his neck. "I would never lie to you." She muttered before pulling him closer to her and covering his mouth with hers. Mark wasn't still for long and quickly took over the hard kiss, taking possession of her tongue he sucked and nibbled and she moaned.

They kissed long and hard until they heard a throat clearing behind them. Mark slowly pulled away and turned towards the noise. Dr. Hines stood there grinning which made Ashley blush.

"Is my patient ready to go home?"

Ashley's eyes widened and she was practically bouncing on the bed. "Yes!" She exclaimed and quite loudly.

Dr. Hines chuckled as she approached the bed. "As you know we drew more blood this morning and the tests we performed show that the infection in your system is completely gone. You are free to go home."

Ashley beamed at her. "Thank you! I'm so ready to go home."

The doctor nodded. "I bet you are. You've been here for a while. We were starting to get a little worried we would never get rid of you."

Ashley laughed. "I was feeling the same way."

Dr. Hines laughed. "Now you still have to clean and re-bandaged the gash in your side. Upon cleaning it this morning, the nurses stated that it too was healing very well so I'm just going to give you a few instructions on how to clean it. I'm sure you can do it but if not then I've already talk to your dad and I'm sure your friend Mark here won't mind cleaning it either. It's not messy or anything. Let me show you."

She proceeded to show Mark and Ashley how to clean and dress Ashley's wound in her side. Ashley wasn't worried at all. It was easy and simple and she was determined to do it herself. She didn't want to bother her father with this and well, she really didn't want to bother Mark either. She hadn't thought about since that day, but it still hurt when she thought about the look on Mark's face when Dr. Hines called him her husband. He looked almost disgusted at the thought and that really hurt Ashley's feelings. She now knew it was only a matter of time before Mark told her their time was over. But she didn't want to think about that. Not yet. Denial land was a wonderful place.

* * *

**Friday June 7, 2013**

She'd been out of the hospital for almost a week and she was enjoying every second of her bed and her kitchen and her condo. She had really missed it. She hadn't even realized how much she loved her little place until she had been gone for so long and until she was almost killed. When she got home Monday evening, the sheets still smelled like Mark and sex and Ashley had moaned with desire and annoyance. The doctor had told her she couldn't have sex until after the stitches were removed and that wasn't until June tenth. She was going to go crazy by then. She wanted Mark with such longing she didn't even realize she had. She didn't understand this longing but she wasn't going to ignore it either. Go with the flow. That was what she was going to do.

She was alone in her condo and she was in the kitchen, eating yogurt and drinking orange juice. Mark had left early yesterday afternoon for California. He had an interview today on the Conan O'Brien show and wouldn't be back until Tuesday, the day after her doctor's appointment. Ashley crinkled her nose in aversion. She didn't really care for Conan, but she would watch the show just to see her Mark. She wondered what he was going talk about. Probably Wrestlemania and his injury. Although one really couldn't tell that he had injured his leg at all. He walked without a brace or a cast. He was tough as nails.

What in the hell did he want with her? She was a small town girl with no job and a woman who was her mother out for her blood. She was small, weak, and insignificant. She was average to look at and boring as hell. So what did Mark see in her? She was sure he was probably getting bored with her, especially now that they couldn't have sex until after June tenth. Although he was going to be gone until the eleventh, but she didn't know what the doctor was going to say. She didn't think Mark was that type of man, but he was a red-blooded male who was probably used to sex in a relationship and right now she couldn't even give him that. Yeah yeah yeah... she was thinking too far ahead.

Her cell phone rang and she smiled at the sound of John Cena's entrance music. She would bet anything he was calling to ask her for advice. She answered it with a cheery hello.

"Hey Ashley, its John."

She giggled. "I know."

"How did you know it was me?"

"The ringtone is your entrance music."

John chuckled. "I guess that would give it away. I just wanted to check in and see how you were feeling. I know Taker's in Cali."

Ashley sighed. "Yeah, he is." She replied sadly. "I'm feeling so much better now that I'm actually in my own home and in my own bed. Still a little pain when I move too much, but definitely loads better.

"Damn, that's good to hear. It's also really nice to hear your voice. You gave us all quite a scare. I've known Taker a lot of years and never have I seen him so worried about anything or anybody as I did when you were kidnapped and in the hospital fighting for your life."

Ashley didn't know how to respond to that so she chose not to. "He's still a little worried about Megan being out there, but he's being so caring, attentive, and really sweet. He's been taking care of me this past week. Driving me a little batty, but he's so sweet that I can't help but let him."

John laughed. "Never thought I would hear the word sweet and Mark 'Undertaker' Calaway in the same sentence, Ashley. Can't wait to tell the guys about that." He gave another chuckle and then changed the subject. "How are things between Mark and your dad?"

"I'm not really sure. Dad got called away on Monday and he's been out of town ever since. I talk to him every night but he's so tired that we don't talk about much. I've tried to ask Mark and he says they've worked it out. So hopefully that's true."

"Yeah I hope it is. It bothers Mark that your dad doesn't like him."

"I know." She replied wistfully and then she changed the subject. "So John earlier at the hospital you mentioned a girl...wouldn't happen to be the same girl I met at Extreme Rules would it?"

"That's right I forgot that you met Cedes at Extreme Rules. She loves your ham sandwiches by the way."

Ashley giggled. "Not as much as you do I'm sure." She teased him.

"Yeah not as much - your right." He replied laughing.

"She seems really nice John. What's wrong?"

"What's wrong? Now there's a loaded question Sweetheart."

Ashley frowned. "So what's the loaded answer John?"

"She's HHH's freaking niece." He muttered hotly.

Ashley snapped her fingers. "I knew I saw something familiar about her when we met. I just knew it." She heard John grumble. "Okay so she's his niece. I still don't see the problem here, John."

"I'm not the one with the problem Ashley, he is. He figured friendship nothing more, not what it is." He told her.

"You obviously care about her, right? So what is this?" She asked concerned.

"Hell yes I care about her! But H is damned stubborn to see that. Thinks because he's her uncle he knows what's best for her and shit." Ashley could tell he was getting a little peeved. Poor guy. She knew the answer to his problem. She couldn't believe he didn't. Men!

"Tell me, John, do you love her?"

He choked and sputtered. "Do I what?" He snapped out.

Ashley giggled softly. "Do you love her?" She asked again.

"I don't know." He barked, getting defensive. "Do you love Mark?" He snapped at her.

She inhaled sharply. "Do I love Mark? Well... He makes me laugh, he loves my cooking, he's sweet, funny, lovable, sexy, and he's just amazing all the way around. Yes, I love him very much, John."

"Oh. Well, I don't know, Ash. I love her hair, her smile, her laugh, her stubborn personality, her can-do attitude and I love that she sees me as a man and not as the wrestler." He sounded almost sad.

"Of course she sees you as a man because that's what you are. Wrestling is just your career, John. That would be like me dating Jordan just because he was a doctor. It's crazy."

"Why did you date that man?"

Ashley sighed... "Temporary insanity." She muttered. "My point is… do you love her?" She asked again more forcefully.

"I love everything about her so maybe…" He trailed off.

"You love her, John. You can't deny it." She pointed out what he couldn't see.

She heard him sigh. "Then what do I do to make H see that."

Ashley took a deep breath. "Put up your job." She said quickly.

"I'm sorry? Did I hear that right?"

She rolled her eyes. "You love her, John. You just said you did. You want to be with her. Prove it to H. Put up your job. Show H that you're serious about her. Do you honestly think Cedes or for that matter, H is going to let you walk away from WWE. No, they won't but it will show H that you care deeply for her and love her without any doubts. And if you don't have any doubts, then H won't either."

John was silent for the longest time and Ashley wasn't sure what he was thinking at all. In fact, she was getting kind of worried.

"Ashley?"

"Yes?"

"I think you're a genius, Sweetheart. In fact, I'm going to have to get you something in gratitude. A car maybe. Or a house. You're amazing Ashley! Thanks!"

She started laughing and was about to tell him that he didn't need to do anything of the kind when she realized that he had already hung up. She laughed harder and tossed her phone onto the table. She picked up her forgotten yogurt and took a bite, still grinning.

"You love him?"

Ashley jumped at the sound of her dad's voice and looked up. "Dad!? I didn't even hear you or the elevator. How did you do that?"

Her father shrugged. "You love him?"

Ashley tried to calm her racing heart and nodded. "Yes, I love Mark. I'm in love with Mark. He's my world and although I don't know how much longer I'll have with him, I'm going to treasure every second."

Her dad grabbed his own yogurt and sat down next to his daughter. "Why do you love him?" He asked seriously.

"He's just perfect, Dad. He's funny and down to earth. Although he's a large man, he doesn't use his size to get what he wants. He doesn't use his status as a celebrity to pull strings or to get what he wants. He loves my cooking and he's always willing to be my guinea pig when I want to try something new; whether or not it's a dessert or an entrée or an appetizer. He can make me smile just by looking at me with those green eyes of his and when I'm feeling sad or angry, he can make me laugh. He knows pretty much everything about me, but he still likes me."

Ben shook his head. "As I was driving over here, I was determined to talk to you about this thing with Mark. To make you see reason that he isn't right for you."

Ashley gaped at her dad. "What?"

He nodded, taking a bite of his yogurt. "But I'm not going to do that now."

Ashley shook her head. "You're not?"

"Nope. Instead I'm going to give you my best and demand grandbabies soon. I want a little boy that I can teach football to and watch wrestling with."

Ashley shook her head harder. "Dad, what are you talking about? Mark doesn't love me. I love him. I'm not going to marry him. You seen for yourself how he reacted to being called my husband." Ashley was almost in a panic.

Her dad pulled her into a hug. "Shh. Calm down, Sunshine. You'll see that everything will turn out just fine." He told her, pulling back to look into her eyes. "You'll see. Everything will be just fine."

Still shaking her head, she tried to get her dad to see reason. "Dad, you don't understand –"

He cut her off, changing the subject. "Can you believe that his friends had him drugged?" He asked, chuckling.

Ashley grinned thinking about it. "No, I can't believe they did that. I bet Mark was really mad."

Her dad nodded. "Oh he was pissed."

The laughed and ate their yogurt, but Ashley's mind was still on Mark and how much time she had with her knight in his black shiny armor.

* * *

**Saturday Morning June 8, 2013**

She woke up to the sound of her phone buzzing in her ear telling her that she had a text message. She reached over and grabbed her phone and hit the correct button. Mark's face popped up on the screen and she couldn't help but laugh. His eyes were bloodshot and he looked like he had just woken up. Underneath the picture, he wrote, 'I really do look like the DeadMan'.

She giggled, took a picture of herself and sent it to him. His reply was almost immediate.

**Are you trying to kill me, baby girl? **

She frowned and responded.

**What do you mean?**

Once again his reply was instant.

**Look down baby.**

She frowned harder and looked down. She started to laugh when she noticed one of her boobs had popped out of her pajama top.

**Lol! Sorry I didn't see that. **

She hit send.

**I love your perfect breasts, Baby, but I wasn't quite ready for that image this morning. **

She took another picture, this time she stuck out her tongue.

**Put that tongue back in your mouth. Since I'm not there to show you how to use it, I don't want to see it.**

She frowned.

**You're grouchy this morning. **

**:-( I'm sorry baby girl. I just miss you and I want to hold you. **

**Awww… I miss you too Mark.**

About an hour later, her phone went to buzzing again. It was another picture of Mark, but this time he was sitting down, slouching in his chair, his legs spread. The look in his eyes made her tummy tighten and her panties damp. The words he added, made her gasp.

**Fuck! I've been hard for you since I left. I can't wait for the 10****th****, baby girl. I'm gonna rock your little world. **

That was when she noticed the bulge in his pants. Damn! She wasn't sure how to respond, but she was definitely interested and aroused. Her breathing was coming fast, her nipples were hard and she was definitely wet. She took a minute to think before making up her mind. She grabbed her phone and headed towards her bathroom. She turned the water on super-hot until the glass door fogged up. She turned back the hot and turned on the cold and quickly stripped. Mark was going to kill her for this, but she knew the reaction it would get from Mark and she wanted him and that raw reaction.

She pressed herself up against the glass and snapped the picture. She looked at it before she sent it, giggling. He was going to be able to tell she was naked behind the shower glass door, but only the shadows hinted at her naked nipples and the hair between her legs. It was going to drive Mark crazy!

She typed, **'I'm ready and willing, Mark,'** and then hit send.

His reply was instant and she almost came on the spot.

**Baby Girl, paybacks are a bitch! I'm going to fuck you until you're screaming at me to let you cum. My tongue, my fingers, and my cock, baby girl. I'm going to drive you insane! **

Oh My!


	22. Elvis In The House

**THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU TO KEEPER OF OZ, TAMMY, KAKASHISHOT, TAKERSSOULMATE, FIRECRACKER, MAGBRATTS, WATEVACRAZYGIRL, TANYA2BEYOUR21, LINA MARIE, HEERAH34, & EK10070 FOR WONDERFUL, FABULOUS REVIEWS! **

Author's Note: Thank you everybody who read this story and favorited it too. I just can't believe the response this story has received. The next chapter will be the last and I can promise you that in the next chapter, all questions will be answered. Thanks again!

Chapter Twenty-Two  
Elvis In The House

**Saturday Morning June 8, 2013**

I left Thursday, hoping to return by Friday evening. I was disappointed in that aspect and quite a few more. My agent called Friday morning to let me know that I had a radio interview after my Conan interview. Then I was schedule to make an appearance on Saturday Night Live. Then my agent called again Friday evening before I went on to inform me that he scheduled another interview the next morning. Who the hell did interviews on Sunday mornings? It was Sirius radio announcer and it was the only free time he had. Yeah well it took my time away from Ashley. I wasn't happy about that, but I didn't have a choice in the matter. Then he called early this morning, waking me up, to let me know that he had scheduled two more appearances on Monday. I told him that I was it. I was going to be in St. Louis on Tuesday, and nothing or nobody was going to stop me. Especially since she was getting her stitches out on Monday morning and hopefully her doctor would clear her for sex. I just hoped I was able to take it easy on her because I wanted her with a burning passion that didn't know existed.

She had been gone for almost a week and every day felt like an eternity. I know she didn't have a clue how I felt about her or her tasty ham sandwiches. I could live without the ham sandwiches, but I wouldn't be able to live without her. She was definitely my future and by Tuesday evening, she would know that she was mine for the rest of our lives. I wanted to tell her now but there was no way I was telling her that I loved her over the phone.

Speaking of her and phones, I grabbed my phone from the nightstand where I had tossed it and began to text her good morning. I stopped half way through and decided to take a picture of my old ugly ass. She needed to get use to my ugly mug if we got married and we were going to get married. I wasn't losing her to another man. She was going to be mine; mind, body, and soul.

After taking a quick picture and typing a short message, I hit send. The picture popped up again and I grimaced. God, I did look just about dead. I was running on empty and I was missing my little chef. Those two combined could make anyone look half dead. My phone buzzed and a message from Ashley popped up on the screen. I hit open and my smile was immediate. I must have woken her up because her short brown curls were mussed and her eyes were sleepy. My eyes trailed down her throat and the skin there that I knew was soft and sweet and my eyes bulged out of my head and I let out a loud groan when I saw one small globe. One small breast and a pink nipple and I was getting hard. I wanted my little chef. No surprise there.

I quickly typed.

**Are you trying to kill me, baby girl? **

Her reply was instant.

**What do you mean?**

I chuckled softly. Of course she didn't have any clue she sent me a picture of her boob. She was just too cute. I told her to look down.

**Look down baby.**

I laughed when I saw her next message. Of course she didn't know.

**Lol! Sorry I didn't see that. **

I now needed a cold shower and some quick release while in that shower. She was just too much. What was driving me the most crazy was that I knew from personal experience how sweet she tasted and how wild she really was. It was too early in the morning to think of her in that light.

**I love your perfect breasts, Baby, but I wasn't quite ready for that image this morning. **

I wonder how she would respond to that. My phone buzzed with another message and I hit open. Her sweet little face filled the screen. Her chocolate brown eyes were sparkling with mischief and playfulness and that little pink tongue peeking out between perfect white teeth. Immediately my dick throbbed harder as my mind went south. I knew what the tongue felt like on my cock and so did my cock. Which made it a problem because he was now primed and ready to play. Only Ashley would be enough for me. So I did the only thing I knew what to do. I told her to put that tongue up.

**Put that tongue back in your mouth. Since I'm not there to show you how to use it, I don't want to see it.**

Her reply made me grin.

**You're grouchy this morning.**

I had to apologize.

**:-( I'm sorry baby girl. I just miss you and I want to hold you. **

**Awww… I miss you too Mark.**

Thank God for small favors.

* * *

An hour later and a very long cold shower later, I was still horny. And I had another interview in thirty minutes so I was in an uncomfortable position. I sat down on the only chair in the hotel room and immediately went into a slouch. I wanted Ashley as turned on as I was and I was hoping this picture would do just that. I spread my legs and my pants pulled tight around my crotch, showing the erection that I was probably permanently stuck with. I snapped the picture and then thought about what I wanted to say to her. Something that would make her gasp in shock but would turn her on as well. I went with the truth.

**Fuck! I've been hard for you since I left. I can't wait for the 10****th****, baby girl. I'm gonna rock your little world. **

I sat there and chuckled to myself, just thinking about what she was going to say to me in return. She was probably going to chastise me and tell me not to talk dirty like that over the phone or something. I bet she blushed when she read her text. I wish I could have been there when she read that text. My phone buzzed after a few minutes and I was wondering what the hell took her so long. I opened the text and this time I was the one stunned, shocked, and in complete awe. And even more horny then I was a few seconds again. I couldn't really 'see' anything, but I knew from personal experience what she was hiding behind that shower glass door and that was a major turn on. I was now even more uncomfortable then I was a few seconds ago as well. I had to go to this interview with a hard on that size of Texas and it was throbbing harder than a fucking dildo. And checking the time, I didn't have time to choke the chicken before I had to go.

**I'm ready and willing, Mark.**

Her words made me growl in aggravation. I wanted to be there, fucking her little brains out until she was screaming my name and begging for me to let her cum. And I told her as much. Paybacks were a bitch.

**Baby Girl, paybacks are a bitch! I'm going to fuck you until you're screaming at me to let you cum. My tongue, my fingers, and my cock, baby girl. I'm going to drive you insane! **

I didn't have to wait long for her reply.

**OH MY! Do you promise, Mark? Do you **_**really**_** promise to fuck me until I'm screaming?**

I groaned in pain. She had me in a state of pain and I know she didn't even realize it. Oh the things I was going to do to her when I got my hands on her.

**You're going to be begging, baby. Begging and Screaming… :-) **

Her response made me laugh.

**Stunned, shocked, and in awe, but ready and willing!**

* * *

**Tuesday Afternoon June 11, 2013**

I let out a sigh of relief as I entered Ashley's building. All that stood between me and my little chef was an elevator ride and a few giant steps. I ignored the security guard since it was that young punk that I didn't like. Something needed to be done about him and if he didn't watch the looks he gave Ashley or me, he was going to find himself on the receiving end of a tombstone or a choke slam. The same was to be said about Jordan. I had a little chat with Jordan before Ashley left the hospital and I didn't trust him and I really didn't like him. My short conversation with him showed me his true personality.

_*Flashback*_

I walked up to Jordan and without touching him, backed him into an exam room where we would have a little privacy. He sputtered and protested the whole way, but he backed up. I kept my emotions in check by putting on my Undertaker face.

"What the hell do you want?" He snarled.

"It's not what I want. It's what you're going to do."

He curled his lip in disgust. "I'm not going to do anything."

I stepped closer and fear flashed in his eyes. "You are going to stay the hell away from Ashley."

"And if I don't?" He was scared and trying to bluff his way out of it.

"Oh you will." I stated softly.

"Maybe Ashley doesn't want me to stay away." He bartered.

"Ashley does not like you. Understand that. Accept it."

He rolled his eyes. "She's never going to change. You know that, right?"

My brows furrowed in confusion. "Change? What would I want to change about her?"

He laughed and it was creepy. "Oh come on. You don't have to play stupid with me. A guy like you… a celebrity wrestler, out in the media every day. You want a trophy wife just as I do and Ashley makes the perfect little trophy wife. Beautiful and she'll make a good hostess, but she's not going to change. She's not that type."

I swallowed hard. Then I lowered my voice to try and keep my anger in check. "What type is that?"

"The housewife type. She's never going to want to stay home and be that perfect trophy wife."

My teeth were grinding into sawdust. "I believe the term is barefoot and pregnant."

He grinned. "So you do understand. I knew you would."

I snorted. "You don't know a damn thing." I growled, poking one long finger into his chest. "I love Ashley just the way she is and I don't want to change her. Just the thought of her staying home –barefoot and pregnant– and being my trophy wife makes me sick. Stay the hell away from Ashley. You're nothing but a controlling, ignorant asshole and I don't want you near my future wife. Do you understand me?"

He looked shocked and put off by my little outburst but I could see the disappointment, fear, and anger in his eyes. "And if I don't." He had balls, I'll give him that.

I leaned down and got in his face. "If you don't, you'll have five very pissed off wrestlers knocking on your door. Let me make this very clear to you, Jordan. You're about six foot in height, right?" I asked and he nodded slowly. "The smallest of those very pissed off wrestlers is six foot two. The smallest of those wrestlers can pick you up and throw you clear across the room. Don't get me started on the rest of us. We'll destroy you, Forrester. Do you understand me?"

He took a deep breath and opened his mouth. I cut him off instantly. "Mess with my little chef, Forrester and five very pissed, very big wrestlers _will_ be knocking _down_ your door. Am I clear?" I stressed.

He nodded jerkily, fear in his eyes. "Yeah. Crystal clear."

I straightened my large frame. "Good."

I walked out without another word.

_*End Flashback*_

I had a feeling I hadn't heard the last of Doctor Jordan Forrester, but I wasn't worried about him. I would have a ring on Ashley's finger and her name will be changed to Calaway and then she will truly be mine and only mine. And if I had my way then that would be happening within the month. I wanted her to truly be mine before the month of June was over. Now all I had to do was convince Ashley to marry me. Easier said than done.

As I got off the elevator, I could hear the music and I was pretty sure it was Elvis singing with Ashley's sweet voice mixed in, singing slightly off key as she belted out of the lyrics. I bet she didn't even hear the elevator. I quietly unlocked her front door and stepped in. All Shook Up by Elvis Presley hit my ears and I grinned. The wonderful smell of garlic, onion, mushrooms, and tomatoes hit my nostrils and I moaned in appreciation. God, I was going to have to keep up on my work outs. Being married to a chef like Ashley was going to be my undoing. Being married to someone like Ashley was going to be my undoing. She was definitely one of a kind.

Ashley came into view as I crept slowly out of the foyer and into the condo. She had her stereo on the counter and I was sure what was playing was a CD. I stopped moving and just watched Ashley as she wiggled her hips, shook that sweet ass and continued singing as she stirred what I was guessing to be spaghetti sauce on the stove.

_My hands are shaky and my knees are weak  
I can't seem to stand on my own two feet  
Who do you thank when you have such luck?  
I'm in love  
I'm all shook up  
Mm mm oh, oh, yeah, yeah! _

I grinned and tried my damnedest not to laugh because if I did she would then know I was watching her. She was just too damn adorable.

_Please don't ask me what's on my mind  
I'm a little mixed up, but I'm feelin fine  
When I'm near that girl that I love best  
My heart beats so it scares me to death! _

I covered a laugh with the palm of my hand as Ashley jumped in the air and shouted. Her ponytail was just bouncy side to side as she lost herself to the music. Every time she jumped up, the pale pink camisole top –she has a lot of those little tops– revealed the soft skin at the small of her back. The pajamas bottoms she wore were the same cotton candy pink as her top and they rode low on her small hips. Cotton candy was my new favorite color and flavor.

_She touched my hand what a chill I got  
Her lips are like a volcano that's hot  
I'm proud to say she's my buttercup  
I'm in love  
I'm all shook up  
Mm mm oh, oh, yeah, yeah! _

As she danced and continued to sing, she dug out a pan and that was when I knew what she was making. She started to fix her lasagna as her cute little hips wiggled and gyrated.

_My tongue get tied when I try to speak  
My insides shake like a leaf on a tree  
There's only one cure for this body of mine  
That's to have the girl that I love so fine!_

When the song ended, apparently the CD was over because the kitchen got silent and stayed that way. I watched her silently for a few more minutes but in a minute she would turn to put the pan in the oven and I didn't want to scare her and make her drop that heavy pan. So I would scare her now.

"I love the way you move, baby girl." I stated huskily.

She squealed and jumped in surprise as she turned around to face me. "Mark!" She screamed before running to me and throwing herself in my arms. I caught her and held her to me; lifting her up and off the ground. Would she greet me this way every time I came home? God, I hoped so.

She began to wiggle so after placing a hard kiss on her mouth, I set her back on her feet.

"How long were standing there?" She asked, eyeing me closely and suspiciously.

I kissed her forehead before turning her around and pushed her towards her lasagna pan. "Long enough to realize that you're fixing lasagna, one of my favorite dishes and I haven't had the privilege of tasting yours yet, and long enough to watch that sweet little ass of yours jiggle and shake." I replied, still watching her ass.

She looked over her shoulder, catching me in the act. She looked appalled. "My butt does not jiggle." She stated. I grinned and waited until she stuck the pan in the oven before I turned her around and lifted her up, placing her on the kitchen counter and placing myself between her spread legs.

"Your cute tiny ass does have a little jiggle. Especially when I'm deep inside you with you on your knees and I'm thrusting hard. In and out, in and out, harder and –." She cut me off by placing a palm over my mouth. Her face was bright red and her eyes were clouded over with lust and desire.

"You have a very dirty mind." She accused with a smile.

I licked the palm of her hand and she giggled. "Only where you're concerned, baby girl." I told her. She shivered in my arms.

I stepped away and she inched towards the edge to get down. I stopped her with the palm of my hand against the flat of her belly. "Don't move." I told her. Her eyes narrowed but she nodded slowly. I went over to her stereo and picked up the empty CD case and read the list of songs. I played the song I wanted and turned back to face Ashley who had a huge smile on her face.

When Elvis started singing I started singing right along with him. I was a horrible singer, but Ashley didn't care. Which is what I was counting on.

_Baby let me be,  
Your lovin' teddy bear  
Put a chain around my neck,_

As I sang the words, I stepped closer to Ashley, grabbing her hands I slid her arms around my neck and stepped closer, drawing our bodies to touch.

_And lead me anywhere  
Oh let me be  
Your teddy bear._

I licked and nibbled on her neck as I sang the lyrics in her ear. She giggled and hissed at the nip of my teeth against her skin.

_I don't wanna be a tiger  
Cause tigers play too rough_

I growled in her ear and acted like I was going to take a huge bite of her neck as my hands gripped her hips. She shrieked in delight and wiggled against me.

_I don't wanna be a lion  
Cause lions ain't the kind  
You love enough._

I slid my hands underneath her cami top and cupped her breasts. She gasped against my neck and curled her fingers into my shirt.

_Just wanna be, your teddy bear  
Put a chain around my neck  
And lead me anywhere  
Oh let me be  
Your teddy bear._

I leaned back and pulled the top over her head and immediately took a pebbled nipple into my mouth, suckling until she was thrashing against me. Only then did I move to the other hardened tip and did the same.

"Mmmm ark…" She moaned deep in her throat. I licked between her breasts and came up to claim her mouth with mine.

_Baby let me be, around you every night  
Run your fingers through my hair,  
And cuddle me real tight_

As I explored her sweet mouth with my tongue, she pressed herself against my erection harder and harder. Her nails were digging into my skin where her hands were curled into my shirt. The music was forgotten in the background as it continued on to another song. I moved down to her jaw and then the curve of her neck and then back to her breasts. She clutched my head to her chest and arched her back, thrusting her breasts in my face. As I claimed her nipple once again, I knew I needed to stop. I didn't want to fuck her on the kitchen counter again. I wanted her in a bed, spread out and I wanted to make sure she was okay before this went any further. With all the strength in me, I pulled back.

She whimpered and I shushed her gently. I picked her by sliding one arm underneath her knees and the other one around the curve of her back and carried her to her bedroom. After placing her lightly on the bed, I removed her pajama pants and the matching cotton panties I discovered underneath. She always managed to surprise me. Pink top, pink pants, and pink panties. Cotton candy all over. And she had shaved too. My eyes went wide and my erection throbbed against the hard denim of my black jeans.

"You shaved?" I met her eyes as she nodded.

"You like?" She asked timidly.

I nodded slowly and touched the downy curls that still remained. "For me?" I questioned in return. She nodded slowly. "Only you." She replied. I slipped my fingers lower and found her soaking wet. "Is this for me too?" I asked in a growl. She nodded again and arched into my fingers. "Mark, please." She begged softly. I grinned as I quickly shucked my shirt, shoes, and pants, leaving me naked as she was.

"Hard and fast first." I spoke in a husky growl as I climbed onto the bed and in between her legs.

She nodded eagerly. "Slow later. Fast now."

I leaned down and brushed my mouth with hers. "Condom?" I asked. I knew she was on birth control, but that didn't mean I was automatically going to make love to her without a condom.

She shook her head and arched her hips. "Please Mark."

I pushed her legs apart and entered her with one quick thrust. She screamed as my cock stretched her to the point of pain. I kissed her gently, softly as I let her tight muscles get use to my large girth.

"Mark?" She whimpered my name.

"Mmmm?" I was enjoying the feel of her muscles clenching around me. I was so close to cumming just by the feel of her.

"Move." She ordered, arching her hips and wrapping her legs around my waist.

"In a minute." I replied, taking her mouth in a demanding and possessive kiss. I dominated her mouth and demanded her tongue to play with mine. She didn't hesitate as her tongue curled around mine. She continued to wiggle and move her hips and I growled in reply. I moved her legs so they were now over my shoulders and I went a little deeper inside her tight warmth. She whimpered my name again as I pulled out and thrust back in. She pursued her lips and moaned. I gripped her chin in my hand.

"Look at me, baby girl."

Her eyes popped opened. "I want you screaming. I want to hear that I'm pleasing you. Got it?" I hissed through clenched teeth as her muscles continued to tighten around me.

She nodded and when I thrust back in hard and faster than before, she screamed. I pounded into her with such force and velocity, that I was sure I was going to hurt her, but she continued to scream and moan and whimper and when she came a few seconds later, she came screaming my name.

* * *

Once we returned from orgasmic high, I eased myself out of her and she whimpered and this time I knew it was in pain. I planted kisses all over her face and neck and whispered sweet words of apology. She giggled when I kissed a ticklish spot behind her ear. I kissed the tip of her nose and pushed myself up with my arms.

"Did I hurt you?" I asked worried.

She shook her head and stretched. "It was delicious." She grinned happily.

I grinned back at her. "Are you sure I didn't hurt you, baby girl? I was a little rough." I stated.

She nodded and her grin widened. "Deliciously so."

I chuckled softly and blew a raspberry into her neck. She laughed with glee and squealed. Her squeals and giggles changed to a moan when I moved lower and sucked a nipple in my mouth. Her hands went to my head to push me away or hold me closer; I wasn't sure which one it was. I left her breasts and moved lower, kissing, nipping, and licking my way down her tummy. I came to a stop when I reached the gruesome slash in her right side. When I leaned in to kiss it, she pushed me away.

"Don't Mark." She said harshly.

I looked up and into her eyes. Those chocolate brown depths were shining with tears and I saw fear. Fear of what? "Why not, baby?"

She shook her head and the tears slowly slid down her cheeks. "It's ugly. Dr. Hines gave me a number to a very well-known plastic surgeon and I thought may–"

"No." I interrupted her.

Her eyes widened in confusion. "No?"

I nodded. "You don't need a plastic surgeon, baby girl."

"I don't?" She asked in disbelief.

I kissed the soft puckered skin and she moaned. "You're beautiful and perfect just the way you are. And I don't want to forget, baby." I whispered against her skin.

She inhaled sharply. "Forget what?" She asked softly.

I looked up again and met her eyes. "How close I came to losing you. I can't ever forget how so very close I came to losing you forever."

She was chewing on her bottom lip, unsure of what to say. A dinging from the front room broke the silence and she went to get up. I gently pushed her back on the covers. "I'll get it. What do I need to do?" I asked.

She smiled softly. "Just take it out of the oven and turn the oven off."

I nodded, got off the bed, brushed a kiss across her parted mouth, and padded naked into the kitchen. I took the lasagna out of the oven and turned the oven off. It smelled so good and I couldn't wait to dive right in but first I had something I needed to tell my little chef. I started to head back towards the bedroom but the stereo stopped me. It had done stopped, but I liked the music playing and I intended to make love to Ashley again. So I grabbed the stereo and went back to the bedroom. I set the stereo on the dresser and pressed play.

"What are you doing?" She asked.

I turned to face her and gave her a playful smile. "I thought the music would hide all the screaming you're going to do." I teased.

She blushed. "You're teasing." She accused.

I laughed as I crawled back into the bed. "Am I?" I asked, wagging my eyebrows.

Her hands reached out and stroked my stomach and I hissed. I grabbed her hands and put them over her head. With one hand, I gripped her wrists in my hand and used my other hand to trail my fingers up one side and down the other. Her breathing picked up and her nipples pebbled. With my free hand, I caressed her breasts, pinching and flicking.

She moaned my name and her head fell back. I leaned down and pressed soft kisses to her chest, neck, and breasts. She pulled on my hands but I didn't release her. I grinned against her skin when the song I wanted came over the speakers.

_Wise men say only fools rush in  
but I can't help falling in love with you  
Shall I stay  
would it be a sin  
If I can't help falling in love with you_

I whispered the lyrics in her ear and she inhaled sharply and then held her breath. I smiled as I nudged her legs apart. "Breath, baby girl." I murmured. She took a deep breath but her eyes remained close.  
_  
Like a river flows surely to the sea  
Darling so it goes  
some things are meant to be  
take my hand, take my whole life too  
for I can't help falling in love with you_

"Open your eyes, baby. I want to see you and I want you to see me." I ordered her. When her eyes opened, I slowly thrust inside her warmth and she arched her back and moaned my name. I continued to slowly thrust in and out with smooth ease, her eyes on mine. It was erotic and something I had never done before. Watching the play of emotions in her eyes and across her face was personal and intimate and I was glad that I waited to discover this with my little chef. Her muscles fluttered around me as her orgasm came closer and closer. I leaned down until our noses touched as I sang the next set of lyrics.

_Like a river flows surely to the sea  
Darling so it goes  
some things are meant to be  
take my hand, take my whole life too  
for I can't help falling in love with you  
for I can't help falling in love with you_

"I love you, baby girl. I love you more and more every day. You're my best friend, my companion, my lover." I whispered against her mouth as she moaned and her orgasm came over her, squeezing and milking my cock until I came long and hard.

"I love you Mark. You're my best friend, my companion, my lover." She whispered against my mouth; she was still a little breathless.

I breathed a sigh of relief and then kissed her mouth, sweet and soft. "My best friend, my companion, my lover; I want you to be my wife. Marry me, Baby girl."


	23. Answers

**THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU TO KEEPER OF OZ, CELTICCHOCOLATELOVER, TAKERSSOULMATE, JODIK77, POISENOUSPRINCESS, TAMMY, KAKASHISHOT, THEGLUTH, KEPOUROS, FIRECRACKER, LINA MARIE, TANYA2BYOUR21, HEERAH, & JOHNCENAFAN101 FOR WONDERFUL, LOVELY, SWEET REVIEWS! A LOT OF THEM MADE ME CRY THIS TIME THEY WERE SO SWEET! THANKS GUYS FOR ALL YOUR SUPPORT! **

Author's Note: Thank you so much for reading and reviewing. This is the last chapter. Will I do a sequel to this one? I don't know. Maybe in the future. I am going to take a short break because my next story is going to be hard for me. I am writing a Punk story because my muse decided that the storyline he was given was perfect. Punk agrees. I've never really liked Punk until very recently so I hope you'll follow along and tell me what you think. I also have an Orton story in the works. I've done two stories at once before but I can't promise I'll do it this time. It's super hard!

A/N2: If anyone wants to follow John's relationship with Cedes please read Fifty Shades of Cena by Keeper Of Oz. She was sweet and kind enough to let me borrow her characters for this story. John & Cedes are so cute together and their story is truly remarkable.

A/N3: This is the last quote in the WWE magazine and I thought I would save it for the last chapter:

_"I first met Undertaker when I was an independent wrestler in the UK, and my initial reaction was amazement at his size. I had always been aware that he was a huge guy on TV, but when you meet him face to face –and I'm a big guy myself, and I'm not used to meeting many people bigger than me –but when I came across him everything about him was just huge. Recently, he took on Damien Sandow and myself in a tag match. He was tagging Sheamus, having just returned after almost a year's absence. That was really the first time I had been in the ring and heard the bell toll, and heard the audience's reaction. It was an awesome moment to experience, to say the least. I wasn't sure I would get the opportunity to experience that, at this point in his career. And obviously, Damien and I got our butts handed to us, but that's to be expected when you're in the ring with a Superstar of his caliber. I have to say that I'm glad I got that one in the bank, though!" -_Wade Barrett

Chapter Twenty-Three  
Six Months Later –Answers

**Tuesday December 15, 2013**

Mark stopped her in the foyer before she pulled on her coat. "Are you sure you don't want me to go with you?" Mark asked his wife of six and a half months as he pulled her into his arms. They got married on June twenty-ninth. They were married within the month of June just as Mark wanted.

Ashley nodded firmly, wrapping her arms around his neck. "I'm sure. I need to do this on my own." She explained.

He nodded and kissed her forehead. "I know you do, but going alone while –"

Ashley cut him off by gently kissing his adam's apple. "I'll be fine. I promise. I'm not worried."

Mark sighed in worry and frustration. "What if she says something to upset you and –"

Ashley covered his mouth with the palm of her hand and shook her head. "She's not going to upset me. I don't care what she says. Nothing she tells me or says to me is going to upset me. I've got you, my dad, and all my friends, making my life absolutely perfect. She's got nothing to upset me."

Mark removed her palm, kissing it gently. "Then why go at all?" He asked confused.

She kissed his throat again. "Because I owe it to Eric. And I need to know as well."

Mark sighed once again and kissed her forehead. "Please let me come with you." He pleaded with her.

Ashley pulled Mark down and kissed him on the mouth, licking the seam of his lips. "I'll be fine. Please trust me."

Mark moaned and gave her mouth a hard kiss. "I trust you completely, baby girl, but damn it –"

She smiled softly. "The doctors said I'll be fine. If you come with me then you're just going to have to sit in the truck. I asked for the visitation almost a month ago to get approval. You don't have that approval. I have to go now. I've waited long enough and I've got a lot going on to wait again."

Mark slowly nodded. "You'll be careful?"

Ashley nodded. "Always."

Mark took a deep breath. "And you won't let her upset you?"

Ashley shook her head. "I won't. I promise."

He pulled her hard against him and crushed her to his chest, lifting her up and off the ground as he squeezed her all he could without hurting her. Ashley squeezed him right back. She still had a hard time believing that she was married to this wonderful man. He was more generous and loving than anyone she had ever met and he was all hers. She didn't have to think about it when he asked her marry him. She was stunned to the point of speechless, but she screamed her answer at him as he asked. Turning him down hadn't been an option. She was too much in love with this big teddy bear.

She was shocked when a month later he presented her with her very own restaurant in the very upscale part of St. Louis. It had been his wedding present to her, complete with interior designers on standby so she could decorate it any way she wanted. She was even more shocked when two weeks later he retired and joined the restaurant business with her. He claimed he didn't know anything about the business or cooking, but he wanted to be with her. So he was the boss, running the restaurant and the staff and she was the chef. Ashley wouldn't have it any other way. Their restaurant open on September first and it had been a huge success since day one. They named it together, In Awe. She had a lot of questions about the name and she always enjoyed telling the story.

She, herself, was in complete awe when her doctor announced at the beginning of October that she was pregnant. Mark and her had discuss starting a small family so she had went off birth control, but when it was confirmed that she was carrying Mark's little baby inside her, she was completely in awe. She thought Mark was going to bust at the seams when she told him, he was so happy. He was over joyed just as she was.

Mark placed her on her feet gently and kissed her mouth softly. "You won't let her touch you." He stated. Ashley looked into his bright green eyes and smiled.

"There will be glass between us so you don't have to worry about that."

His eyes narrowed. "Are you sure?"

She nodded. "They already told me."

Another sigh of relief left his lips before he pulled her back into his arms. "Good. That makes my worry levels go down about a quarter of an inch." He told her.

She laughed and buried her face against his neck. Oh how she loved this man. She would never understand what he saw in her, but she was forever grateful that it was her he had fallen in love with as she had fallen in love with him.

She wiggled against him and he set her back on her feet, taking her mouth in a sensual kiss that left her breathless and wanting more. She pushed against his chest and he growled in denial. He didn't want to let her go. She knew the feeling. Her idea of a perfect day is spending that day in Mark's arms. They didn't have to be making love; just being with him was perfect.

"I've got to go." She told him chewing on her lower lip.

Mark groaned. "I know you do."

She rose to her tip toes and kissed his cheek. "I won't be gone long. I promise."

He cupped her cheeks in the palm of his hands and brought her face closer to his. "I know. I'll be at the restaurant."

She nodded. "I'll just come there when I get back."

He kissed her forehead, the tip of her nose, and then settled his mouth over hers; unmoving. "I love you, baby girl." He murmured against her mouth.

She smiled against his. "I love you, Mark Calaway."

* * *

She was seated in front of the large bullet proof glass and told to wait. She usually didn't have any problem waiting, but she believed she had waited long enough for the answers that were due to her.

Megan had been arrested on July fourth. While others were celebrating Independence Day, Megan was trying to hire a hit man to finally kill her daughter. Unfortunately for Megan, the man she approached was an undercover cop. She was sent back to St. Louis and went in front of the judge. He denied bail and there would be a trial. On August first, she was judged by a jury of her peers and found guilty of kidnapping, four charges of attempted murder and first degree murder of Eric and a lot of other different little charges. She was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. Almost immediately, her lawyer tried to appeal and the judge, a close friend of her father's told her to let it go or he would give her the death penalty. The trial lasted the whole day but the jury didn't need but ten minutes to make up their minds. She was guilty. Ashley agreed.

Behind the glass a door opened and Megan walked into the room, a guard behind her. She was shoved into in front of Ashley and the guard backed off, standing by the door. Megan looked awful. Her hair was stringy and greasy, her face covered in bruises and cuts, and the skin Ashley could see looked worse than her face. She refused to feel guilty. Megan got what she deserved.

Megan clucked her tongue and gave her an evil grin. "The prodigal daughter does return." She sneered.

Ashley rolled her eyes. Her mother wasn't very smart. She smiled. "Prison does become you, _Mother_." Ashley stated seriously, mischief in her eyes.

Megan's smile disappeared and her eyes narrowed. "Bitch." She growled.

"A bitch I may be, but at least I'm on this side."

Megan's breathing was hard and harsh. She was angry. "Why are you here?" She asked through clenched teeth.

"I want some answers."

Megan shrugged nonchalantly but Ashley could tell she was still upset. "Why not? I've got nothing planned for today."

She resisted the urge to roll her eyes. "Why did you want to kill me so bad that you tried four times?"

Megan grinned, cold and calculating. "Five times. You forgot I was arrested while trying to hire a hit man."

She took a deep breath. "Fine. Five times, but why?"

She leaned closer to the glass. "You took something from me."

Ashley's eyes widened. "What did I take from you?"

Megan snorted. "What didn't you take?" She replied sarcastically. "You took the love of my life. You took my dream job. You took the life that I was supposed to have." She tried not to yell, but she couldn't help but raise her voice. The guard cleared his throat and snapped out an order to simmer down.

Ashley's brows furrowed in confusion. "What life is that?"

"Oh like you don't know." She snarled. "The loving husband, a thriving restaurant, great friends, and a baby on the way… that was supposed to be my life. And you took it from me."

Ashley swallowed hard and tried to take focus off the fact that this crazy woman knew she was pregnant. "How did I take it from you? You're not making any sense."

"Ben wanted you and nothing I did or said could change his mind and I tried every day to change his mind. To give you up and start our lives over; without you." A sad look crossed Megan's violet eyes. "Ben refused. He was so adamant about keeping you. He hadn't even met you yet and he was already so in love with this thing growing inside me. He talked to you and sang to you. I never stood a chance against you. And even though he told me that if I carried you to full term he would give you up for adoption, I knew he was lying. When you were born and he told me his plan, I was still enraged."

Ashley shook her head. "So you held a grudge for twenty five years?"

Megan shrugged. "I'm a stubborn and proud woman, but I'm also a vengeful woman. Your father wronged me and I wanted my revenge. Killing you would kill Ben in the process. That would be the ultimate revenge." She grinned coldly.

"You're insane."

"Fuck you."

Ashley ignored that comment and asked another question. "So you only wanted to kill me to hurt my dad?"

Megan took a deep breath. "Yep."

"But why now? Why not when I was little? Wouldn't it have been easy then?" Ashley showed her confusion, pushing her hurt feelings aside.

Megan shook her head. "Ben did an incredible job of hiding you and protecting you. I didn't have a clue where you were until the day you walked into Harley's."

"Why did you wait so long?"

"It would have been too obvious. I had no chance but to wait."

"So what made you decide that night was a good chance; when we got tickets to Raw?"

"Two birds with one stone." She replied simply.

"What?" Ashley didn't hide her confusion.

"I wanted to see Ben more than I could ever imagine. I had to be there."

"So who tried to kill me?"

"I did."

Ashley shook her head. "You're lying."

She shrugged again, but wouldn't say another word. Ashley thought if she waited her out, Megan would eventually cave and tell her the truth, but after a few minutes of silence, Ashley gave up. Whoever she was protecting, she must care for them quite a bit. That surprised Ashley. She forged on and asked another question.

"Who told you that I would be at Raw that night?"

"Eric." She replied, shrugging.

Ashley nodded, going for the one question she knew the answer to and was afraid of. "Why did you kill him?"

"He lied to me. I'm tired of the men in my life lying to me." She responded angrily.

Ashley shook her head. "He didn't deserve to die."

She shrugged again. "He shouldn't have called the police and told them where you were." She hissed.

"He saved my life. He didn't need to die for that." Ashley protested, trying to stop the tears.

Megan chuckled. The sound was cold and cruel. "You loved him." She observed.

Ashley shook her head sadly. "I didn't love him in that way. He was my friend; one of my best friends."

Megan cocked her head as if in thought. "Do you miss him?"

Ashley nodded slowly. "I miss him very much."

Megan smiled maliciously. "Then his death was worth it."

The tears disappeared and Ashley clenched her teeth in anger. She gripped the phone until her knuckles were white and her nails were digging into her palm, drawing blood. The pain of Megan's words and the pain in her palms gave her the courage she needed.

"You're a very ugly woman, Megan." Ashley spoke and Megan's features twisted into something darker and uglier. "I'm not talking about your outer beauty either, Megan. I'm talking about your inner self. You're so full of anger, spite, and hatred and it has made you ugly. You let your hatred for me over ride everything in your life. You could have fallen in love again, gotten married, had a family of your own and maybe even owned your own restaurant. But instead your hatred for me and my father ruled everything and in the process it ruined everything. Your stupidity ruined your life."

"You don't know what you're talking about." She hissed through her teeth.

Ashley gave her a true smile. "Don't I? You're in prison, Megan and by the look of you; you're not doing so well. I'm not in prison and I'm flourishing. I've got a wonderful father who loves me. A husband who cherishes the ground I walk on and loves me just the way I am. I've got friends who like me for me and who enjoy spending time with me and who would do anything for me just as I would do for them. I've got my own restaurant that my husband owns with me. I've got a ba –" Ashley cut herself off. She didn't want this woman knowing that she was pregnant.

She took a deep breath and shook her head. "_Everybody's happy happy happy_." Ashley stated with a small smile, getting to her feet. "Everybody but you it seems." She stated regretfully. She let out a sigh, ignoring the look of disgust and hatred on her _mother's_ face. "Good bye Megan." She told her replacing the phone. She ignored Megan's screams of rage; walking out and never looking back.

* * *

**April 8, 2014: Mark's POV–**

"Don't touch me!" She hissed through another wave of pain.

I grimaced and touched her anyway. "You don't mean that, baby girl."

Ashley glared at me. "Oh yes I do. This is all your fault." She accused through narrowed eyes. Mad, sweaty, and exhausted and she was still the most beautiful person I had ever seen. I knew she was in a lot of pain so the whole 'don't touch me' was a load of shit, but this was my baby girl; my little chef and I would do absolutely anything for her.

I held up my hands in surrender and stepped back. "I won't touch you anymore." I told her sincerely; without a smile in sight.

She snorted. "You're lying through your teeth, Mark William Calaway."

My eyes widened at my full name. She rarely used my full name. In the nine months we had been married, I've heard it twice. Today makes the second time. And of course I was lying because I could never imagine never touching Ashley again, but she was hurting and in pain and that was knowledge was killing me. So I would of course do anything I could to make her happy.

"I could never not touch you again, baby girl." I told her truthfully.

Her hand reached out to me and she motioned for me to come here. I did, of course. Like I would reject my little chef. I took her hand in mine and brought it to my mouth, kissing her palm. "I'm sorry, baby girl. I'm so very sorry that you're in this kind of pain." I told her.

Before she could respond another contraction hit her and she just about screamed in pain. Did I mention she decided to do this without drugs? Because she is. No drugs. All her. My little chef is one strong woman.

"Alright, Honey, let's check and see if you're ready to push." Dr. Jill Young announced as she entered Ashley's hospital room.

Ashley nodded. "Please." She hissed through the pain.

I ran a hand through her hair and kissed her cheek, then her forehead, whispering words of encouragement, love, and devotion to my wonderful wife. It took the doctor just a few minutes of examining Ashley before she proclaimed it was time for Ashley to push. Several more nurses were brought in and seconds later, Ashley was ready to push. With me and a nurse named Steph holding her up and holding her hands and Dr. Young in position, she was as ready as she was going to get.

"On the count of three I want you to push until the count of ten. Okay?" Young told her.

Ashley nodded. "For ten seconds I push." She replied.

Young nodded. "One. Two. Three and push."

Together we all counted to ten before Ashley relaxed. "Good job, Ash. That was excellent. One more time. One. Two. Three and push."

Again we all counted to ten and then Ashley relaxed. "You're doing incredible. One more time before your contraction is over. One. Two. Three and push."

Ashley let out a yelp of pain and moments later I heard a baby cry rip through the quiet hospital room. Ashley fell back with a sigh of pain and relief.

"It's a little boy!" Dr. Young exclaimed with joy.

I grinned and planted a loud smack on Ashley's mouth. "We've got a little boy, baby girl. And he is beautiful." I told her.

She gave a weak smile. "I wanna hold him."

"As soon as they clean him up." I told her.

"Dad, do you want to cut the umbilical cord?" A nurse asked me. I eagerly nodded and cut my son's cord that linked him to his mother. God, he was beautiful. And wow, he had a set of lungs. He had yet to stop screaming. I watched as they got him cleaned up and wrapped in a baby blue blanket.

"Six pounds even and nineteen inches long. He's perfect and healthy." The doctor announced with a large smile.

Ashley and I smiled at each other in satisfaction. Thank God, he was healthy. Thank God he had finally stopped crying.

They handed him to me and as soon as his warmth settled against me, I felt complete. I was holding my son. Talk about being in complete awe. Holy hell! He looked like me. He was staring at me with the biggest green eyes I had ever seen on a baby. He had a cap of dark hair. He had Ashley's tiny nose and her small ears, but the rest of him was all me. Damn, I made a pretty baby.

"Mark, I want to see him." Ashley stated softly.

I didn't want to let him go, but after placing a gentle kiss on his forehead, I placed him in Ashley's arms. She gasped in utter delight and snuggled him close.

"Oh Mark, he's so beautiful and perfect."

I ran a hand over the top of her head and through her hair, kissing her forehead. "He's beautiful just like his momma."

Ashley smiled, shaking her head. "He's handsome just like his daddy."

A huge grin changed my features. "Daddy? I like the sound of that."

Ashley looked up and into my eyes. "You're going to make the best daddy in the world. Other than my dad of course."

I touched her cheek softly. "You're going to make the best mommy, baby girl."

She smiled in return and then her eyes widened. "You had better go tell the guys." She told me.

I nodded and kissed her forehead again. "I'll be right back."

She had already looked away and was looking at our perfect son. I headed out the door and towards the waiting room where I knew it would be full of wrestlers, one impatient and worried father, and two best friends. I entered the waiting room and my smile was immediate. John Cena, Randy Orton, Glen Jacobs, Stephen Farrelly, my father-in-law Ben, Cedes, and Rainie all sat together in a group and they were laughing and talking amongst themselves. This group of people were a small part of my world and Ashley's. They would along with Ashley and myself watch my son grow up. Watch him smile for the first time and roll over. Watch him crawl and take his first steps. Watch him as he learned his first word and celebrated his first birthday. Watch him grow up to be a strong young man. I always thought my life was missing something and now I knew what it was. It was Ashley. She had come into my life with her sweet smile and delicious ham sandwiches and brought my world together. And now I had a beautiful baby boy to add to the mix.

Smiling, I cleared my throat and seven pairs of eyes turned towards me. They all jumped up at once and begin asking questions and demanding answers. I didn't make them wait long.

"We have a boy!" I announced and rather loudly.

A round of cheers echoed through the room and Ben's whoop of delight was probably heard for miles.

"What's his name?" Cedes asked timidly. She was new to our little group but she was permanently apart of it and Ashley welcomed her with open arms. The two girls had become fast friends in the last several months.

I grinned sheepishly. "We haven't decided yet." I told her.

"Well why not?" Rainie questioned. At her bold question, I laughed. As soon as Ashley's restaurant was ready to open, she offered Rainie a job as her sous chef. Rainie didn't think she deserved the spot, but Ashley assured her that she did. And Rainie has been with us ever since. She was a dedicated member of our restaurant and definitely a member of our ever growing family.

"We haven't agreed on actual name for him yet." I replied smiling.

"How is Ashley?" Cena asked.

"She's happy and healthy. Tired and exhausted, but beautiful and strong." I stated proudly.

"When can we see her?" Jacobs demanded to know.

"And the new baby?" Farrelly added.

That too made me laugh. "As soon as they get her and the baby settled and cleaned up."

"He doesn't look like you, does he?" Orton teased grinning.

"Poor thing will be ugly as hell if he looks anything like you, Brother." Jacobs added laughing.

I laughed with them. "He's got some of my features, but he's definitely his momma's son." I replied.

"Thank God for that!" Cena added his repertoire. Cedes elbowed him in his stomach and Cena grimaced in pain. Cedes must have gotten him good. Good for her.

"How much did he weigh?" Cedes asked, giving Cena the evil eye.

Still chuckling, I told her. "Six pounds even and he was nineteen inches long."

"Oh he was a tiny thing." Rainie stated quietly.

"That's cause his momma's tiny." Farrelly replied to Rainie's statement, giving her a bright smile. I was pretty sure that Rainie was blushing. Ashley would love to hear about that.

"I'm gonna get back to Ashley. I'll let you all know as soon as you can come back."

I said good bye to my friends and went back to check on my wife and son.

* * *

"They're on their way to the room." I told my lovely wife.

Ashley looked up at me with love in her eyes. "We need a name, Mark."

I nodded in agreement. "What do you think it should be?"

She shrugged. "I'm not sure, but I would like his middle name to be William, likes yours." She told me before her gaze, loving and enthralled, returned to our son.

Suddenly a lump of emotions clogged my throat. I tried to swallow but that solid lump made it impossible. I had a wife and a son. I had another wife and a son. I had another wife that I couldn't live without and a beautiful, healthy son. I couldn't believe I did it again, but at least this time I got it right. I found the perfect woman. Well, she was perfect for me. God, she was beautiful. And my son… I just couldn't help but think that they wouldn't be here if Eric hadn't saved Ashley's life. I had Eric to thank, but I wasn't able to do that.

"How about Eric?" I abruptly asked, breaking the silence.

Ashley looked up in confusion. "Eric?"

I nodded. "Eric William Calaway."

Her eyes widened in surprise than softened when she realized what I had said. "You want to name our son, Eric?" She asked tears welling up in those beautiful brown eyes.

My forehead furrowed in confusion and worry. "Well not if it's going to make you cry. I'm sorry bab –"

"Knock knock?" Jacobs voice interrupted and I wanted to scream at him and tell him to get out. I wanted to make sure I hadn't upset Ashley. Fuck! I didn't mean to upset her.

Ashley wiped away her tears and smiled, motioning them all to come in. Seven people filled our room and I never got to say another word. They fussed over Ashley, giving her hugs and kisses, asking her questions, telling her how beautiful and perfect our son was and asked her how the labor was. Ashley answered all their questions with patience and a smile. She handed our son to my father-in-law and the look upon his face was priceless. He had a grandson and I had no doubt that our son would soon know everything that there was needed to know about wrestling, football, basketball, and any other sport there was. I heard the comment her father made and I silently agreed. He was perfect in every way just as Ashley was. There was nothing wrong with my son. Or my wife.

"What's his name?"

Cedes' question pulled me from my thoughts and I looked up just in time to see her take my son and take a seat on John's lap. I looked over at Ashley and she looked at me with a smile before she turned her attention to Cedes.

"We decided on Eric William Calaway."

I felt the breath of relief leave my lungs in a whoosh. She liked the name. She liked the name! Thank God!

"It's a damn good name, Sunshine." Ben replied as little Eric begin to cry.

Ashley grinned. "It was Mark's idea." She told him.

Cedes got up and returned Eric to his mom who immediately went to nursing him, covering his soft head and her breast from everyone's view.

Ben looked at me with respect. "It's a good name; a strong name."

I nodded. "I thought so too. And it will always remind me." I stated, my eyes finding my wife and son.

"Remind you of what?"

I wasn't sure who asked the question. I was too focused on the loves of my life and the voice was too soft and too quiet.

"That if it wasn't for Eric, Ashley and little Eric wouldn't be here today."

* * *

"He's just so beautiful, Mark."

I chuckled softly. That was the third time she said that in the last ten minutes. He was truly beautiful and so damn little. He had a lot of growing to do if he was going to be anywhere near my size and height. I could already see it. My son, Eric William, with Ashley's heart, spunk, stubbornness, determination, and beautiful looks, but he'll have my eyes, my hair, and my size, strength, and height. He was going to be one good looking kid with a heart of gold.

I was sitting back against the hospital bed with Ashley settled between my spread legs, her back to my chest and our son in her arms. We hadn't been like this for long, and I wasn't ready to give up my position. I dared anyone to try and get me to move. It wasn't going to happen.

"So you like him?" I teased my lovely wife.

"Oh Mark, I'm just so… so…"

"Speechless?"

She sighed and shook her head.

"How about stunned, shocked, and in awe?"

She kissed our son's forehead and nodded. "Yeah, that's it. I'm completely stunned, shocked, and in awe."

I grinned. I was too. "Why?" I asked out loud.

"I'm stunned that I'm holding this perfect little boy and he's mine and yours and we made him. I'm shocked that I married my favorite wrestler and gave birth to his son. I'm completely in awe because you are such a remarkable man that I've fallen in love with and you've fallen in love with me. I'm in awe because I've just had this incredible little boy and he's mine and yours and we made him."

I chuckled softly and gave my own reply. "I'm stunned that you became my best friend because you wanted to be my friend and not because I was your favorite wrestler. I'm shocked that you married me without any argument and I'm in complete awe because you love me just as much as I love you. I'm in awe because you just gave me an incredible gift; my son."

"So you could say you're stunned, shocked, and in awe?" Ashley asked playfully.

"Yes, you could most certainly say that. Stunned, shocked, and in complete awe." I replied, pulling her tighter to me and kissing the top of her head.

Ashley chuckled softly. "I love you Mark Calaway."

"I love you Ashley Calaway."

She sighed as her head settled against my shoulder and she tucked little Eric in the crook of her arm and against my chest.

When she spoke her voice was soft and barely audible but I heard it clearly.

"Stunned, shocked, and in awe."


End file.
